Not a Perfect Fairytale (But It's Ours)
by LumiOlivier
Summary: (Fairytale AU) Whoever decided the prince needed a princess has terrible foresight...
1. Knight in Rattling Armor

**A/N: Hi there! If you've wandered in from the quinceañera next door, lo siento, pero la fiesta está allá (pero si quieres quedarte, no te tiraré). Alright! Now that we have that all cleared up, if you're not from the quinceañera next door, welcome, welcome! I'm assuming that some of you may have wandered in here from a different YOI story I did called Adopted (and if you haven't read Adopted yet, it'd be really cool if you did), am I right? Or maybe from the sick fic I did last week (Dr. Nikiforov has a Ring to it.)? I told you about the miniseries that I'm going to be doing until December (except for when we take hiatus for November. NaNoWriMo season is like a religious holiday for me.). Well, friends, this is that miniseries. A little Victuri AU that sprung into my imagination back in March. I started writing this as a one-shot, but this can't be a one-shot. So, enjoy the spoils of my imagination.**

People usually thought the lives of the royal family were so glamorous, so exciting. Sure, being royal had its perks. Everyone adores you. Anyone would kill to be in your position. The power, the notoriety. All of that was great and I'm not complaining. It's when it's forced upon me...That's when it becomes a bit of a problem.

There once was a powerful king and queen that ruled their kingdom with an iron fist, yet somehow managed to keep their people content. However, the king and queen are getting on in years and are now stepping down from the throne, leaving the responsibility to fall on the shoulders of the oldest prince. Alas, that oldest prince who would become the new king was none other than yours truly.

To be honest, the life of being royal was starting to bore me. I didn't really care about taking the throne. Especially if it meant going through the hell of finding a queen. Because of some silly formality, I was forced to fall in love. That was something that should come naturally, not be arranged. Oh well...I might as well get it over with.

I sat beside the king and queen and my sister, the princess, on the other side. My younger brother and next in line for the throne after me, Yurio, was nowhere to be found for the fun. At least I had Mila there for moral support. Our other brother had given up his title for priesthood. Georgi never thought he'd find love again, so instead, he clung to religion. If I were more of the religious type, I'd consider the same.

"Bring in the first princess!" the king demanded.

A beautiful, dark haired princess came in with a man already on her arm. Our attendant, Phichit, if I remember correctly, called out, "Announcing the arrival of Princess Sara and Prince Michele."

"Good morning, King Yakov," Princess Sara bowed, "Queen Lilia."

"Good morning, highness," Father addressed her, "Allow me to introduce my son, Prince Victor."

"Your highness," I smiled politely, not too terribly interested. However, Sara was enough to make Mila sweat a little.

"What makes you a suitable queen for the prince?" Mother asked.

"Well," Sara began, shooting quick glances at Mila, "Our kingdoms could do so much good combined."

"Excuse me?" Michele stepped in, "Forgive me, your highness, but having to ask if my sister is good enough for your son? It's a great insult!"

"Mickey," she attempted to settle him, "Please."

"The prince is the one unworthy of you!" he continued, taking her hand, "We can rule our kingdom together."

"No," Sara shoved her brother aside, "I'd rather rule on my own."

"Sara," Michele put a hand on his sister's shoulder, "We've been together since we were in the womb..."

"It doesn't matter!" she yelled, "You're smothering me, Mickey! I'm done!"

"Sara, wait!" Michele ran after the princess and I waited for whoever was going to come through those doors. After that, I'm sure it's only uphill from here. Probably another princess that I'd be forced to marry. Why did I even have to take a princess? Was I incapable of ruling the kingdom on my own? What's the worst that could happen? I may not have fallen in love with her, but Princess Sara had a point and I had to admire her for that.

"Announcing the arrival of Princess Yuko and her knight," Phichit called out.

"Good morning, King Yakov, Queen Lilia," the princess curtseyed. A little cuter than the last one, but like a doll. Not quite like Sara. And by the looks of Mila, she wasn't her type either. But I'll give her a chance.

"Good morning, your highness," Father gave her a nod.

"I find it strange you travel with a night so close, Princess," Mother pointed out, shooting glances between the princess and her knight, "Any reason you need that much protection?"

"My knight travels everywhere with me," Yuko explained, "He is more than just my protection. He's my best friend."

"I think that's wonderful," I commended. Maybe she was different, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Yuko."

"Likewise, your highness." I gave her a little smile, making her eyes sparkle. Yuko was quiet, but the rattle of her knight's armor was interesting. I wonder what that was all about.

"This is pointless," Father rumbled, "Thank you, Princess."

"Your highness," Yuko pleaded, "Give me another chance."

"Father," I defended her, "Her kingdom and ours have always been allies since you took the throne. What has you wanting to call this off?"

"We're going about this the wrong way," he thought it over.

"Father," Mila chimed in, "If you're wanting to find someone for Victor, why have individual princesses come here? Why don't we take the uncomfortable formality out of it and throw a ball instead? That way, the princesses are more relaxed and this will be less painful to watch."

"I like her idea," I approved, "Let's do that."

"Fine," Father allowed, "You're taking care of everything, Mila. You have one week."

If there was anyone in the entire kingdom I trusted with this type of thing, it was Mila. Out of all my siblings, Mila knew me the best. She knew what I liked and I liked a good party. A little wine, good company, what's not to love? And Princess Yuko's knight...He intrigued me. He came off more nervous than she did and I didn't even see his face.

"Victor?" Mila shook me, "Were you even listening to me?"

"I'm sorry," I came back, "What were you saying?"

"Honestly," she rolled her eyes, "You need to pay attention. This party's for you. And with the time restraint Father has put on it...All I want is for you to help me a little. That's all I ask."

"I'm just scatterbrained," I apologized.

"Do you need to talk?" Mila settled down, putting her party planning on hold to be my sister.

"Princess Yuko," I thought.

"Are you interested in her?" she assumed.

"She seems sweet," I shrugged, "But something about her knight. I can't get him off my mind."

"I know how you feel," she sympathized, "What about Princess Sara? What did you think of her?"

"She's gorgeous," I said, "But I don't think she's the one for me."

"So, for the record," Mila hoped, "You're not interested in Sara?"

"Not at all."

"We should still invite her to the party anyway," Mila wrote her name down, "Anyone else you want?"

"Invite Yuko," I told her, "And make sure she has her knight, too."

"For you, my dear brother," she promised, "I will gladly see to it."

"Thank you," I got up, "You're a saint, Mila, but I don't think I'm in the mood for party planning. I'm just going to bed."

"Alright," Mila wrapped her arms around me, "Whatever's bothering you, don't be afraid to talk to me, ok?"

"I won't," I kissed my sister's cheek, "Good night."

"Good night, Victor," she sent me off and went back to her party planning.

I sat out on my balcony and got completely lost in the sparkling night sky. This was maddening. I didn't even know his name. Just his mere demeanor was enough to make me interested. Something about his charming awkwardness...It only made me want to get to know him more.

 **A/N: We're barely into the story and I already love it. This is only the beginning, friends. I'm a very excited little bean. Because I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale and I'm an even bigger one for my Victuri. So, for the next few Wednesdays, it's going to be you and me watching a beautiful ship possibly sail into the sunset. Are you excited? Because I'm excited. Now, if it's all the same to you, I have an update for Mystic Messenger to start on for tomorrow. See you next chapter! xx**


	2. Breath of Fresh Air

**A/N: Hi, guys! I'm so happy you liked the first chapter! That brings me such joy. I'm so glad this is getting such a nice response. Just wait, though, friends. Because it's only going to get better from here. It'll easily be my favorite miniseries I've ever done and we're only at the second chapter. So, I'm going to shut up and you're going to enjoy what's to come, ok? Awesome. I'll be waiting at the end to do a little more talky talky, so enjoy!**

After a week of careful planning, the time had finally come. The party I didn't really want, but was more of a formality than anything. Plus, Mila could never say no to a party. I didn't want to meet any more princesses. All I wanted was to know whose armor rattled in my throne room. If I was going to attend a party tonight amongst royalty and nobility, I'd have to look the part, right?

Mila had other things to worry about and a few more minor details to finalize. Unfortunately, she couldn't help me pick anything out. I liked the burgundy suit, but I liked the fuchsia one, too. The fuchsia one had so many buttons, but the gold in them stood out and shined so nicely. Would that be too much? It could be. I don't know what kind of background Princess Yuko's knight came from. I didn't want to come off pretentious. It's bad enough I was royal. I didn't need to rub it in his face. The burgundy one, it is then!

I tried it on for laughs and did a spin or two in the mirror. Yes...This will do quite nicely. This suit fit perfectly. Damn, I look good. Not to sound narcissistic, but I'd make passes at myself. I'm sure my knight in shaking armor will think so, too. At least I hope so. That's what this whole spectacle was about anyway. My god...I hope this was worth it.

"Vitya," a sweet voice chimed in my dressing room, "Can I come in?"

"Of course," I looked myself over one last time, "What do you think? Is it too much?"

"It's a good color on you," Mila approved, "It's perfect."

"I was torn," I pulled on the sleeve of the jacket, fiddling with the diamond cufflinks a bit, "It was either this or the fuchsia suit with the gold buttons."

"That is a tough decision," she bit her lip, "I'd still go with the burgundy suit. It works for you. Subtle, but still stands out."

"Thank you," I took the jacket off, "Did you need me for something?"

"Just checking in," Mila sat, "Are you doing ok? Tonight's the night. You finally get to meet your possible soulmate. And I get to see Sara again. Nervous?"

"Me?" I scoffed, "Nervous? Mila, please. I'm the most confident person you've ever met, am I not? Of course I'm not nervous. Not at all."

"Are you sure?" she dug deeper, "Because it's ok if you are."

"I'm not," I promised, "I'm excited. I'm anxious. The day needs to go by faster!"

"You're telling me," Mila let out a heavy sigh, "It's been rush, rush, rush all week. It'll be nice to relax tonight. And it's all for you, my dear brother."

"You're a saint, Mila," I kissed my sister's cheek, "After tonight, I am forever in your debt. That is, if it goes well."

"What do you mean, if it goes well?" she gasped, a bit insulted, "Victor, I made sure everything will go flawlessly. If it doesn't, it won't be any fault of mine."

"I'm sure you'll make me proud," I held her against my chest, "What about you? Are you nervous?"

"A little," Mila confessed, "You saw Sara. She's stunning! What if she doesn't like me?"

"She will," I promised, "Anyone would be lucky to have you."

"And this is why I do nice things for you," she smiled, "I'll leave you to get ready."

"Do you want some help?" I offered.

"If you're not too busy."

I had no problem helping Mila. Not after what she's done for me. In a way, I owed her, so if helping her make up her indecisive mind was repaying my debt, so be it. It didn't hurt that no matter what, Mila was gorgeous. If she were to pursue Sara, she really would be lucky to have her. Although, when I offered my advice, I didn't realize how big of an undertaking it would be. Mila had it narrowed down to twelve dresses of all shapes and sizes. My dear sister may be a hint insane, but I loved her all the same. Honestly, I'm proud she had it narrowed down this far on her own and didn't go shopping. Out of the eighty she already had...and half of them have probably gone unworn.

"So?" Mila did a turn in the last dress. A deep green one that held her perfectly. Mila wasn't very big, but she was curvy. That's for sure, "Which one?"

"That one," I picked, "You've always looked great in green and that one brings out the green flecks in your eyes."

"What about from the back?" she spun, glancing over her reflection.

"What about it?"

"You know exactly what," Mila pouted, "Does it make my ass fantastic or not?"

"Mila!" I scolded her, "You know how improper it is for a lady to use language like that."

"Oh, hush," she rolled her eyes, "You sound like our father. And he speaks like a sailor worse than all of us. Besides, it's just you and me. And I'm sure we've both thrown proper out the window."

"Not necessarily."

"Says the prince pining for the knight of another princess. That he has yet to actually meet."

"A little below the belt, Mila."

"I just work with what you give me," Mila gave herself one last look over, "You're right. I like this one. The burgundy one came close, but as much as I love you, I don't want us to match."

"Likewise."

Before too long, the time had finally come. It was time to lower the bridges and let the guests in. It was time for this party to start. I walked into the main ballroom and took a good look around. Mila did an excellent job. Then again, she did have a small team of some of the kingdom's best designers to help her. However, most of this felt very Mila.

"Nicely done, little sister," I praised, "Very nice."

"I try," Mila squeaked, taking a little pride in her work.

"Remind me why I'm here," our grumpy little brother pouted in the corner.

"It's not going to kill you to be social, Yurio," I threw an arm around him, "Mingling is good for you."

"I don't want to be here," he grumbled.

"Oh, suck it up, Yurio," Mila teased, "You're going to have to go through something like this one day, too. When Victor leaves the throne and you're expected to find a princess of your own."

"Pass," Yurio rolled his eyes, "Why do I have to be here, but Georgi doesn't?"

"Georgi said there'd be too much temptation," she filled him in, "Although, he sends his love and his blessings."

"If he really loved us, he'd take my place!"

"My God, Yurio," Mila giggled to herself, "Are you wanting me to find you a princess now, too?"

"Shut up, Mila!"

"Both of you," I had to come between them, "Do you forget what we're here for?"

"Hello," Mila's radar went up, "Sara's here. Don't wait up."

And there she went, "Looks like it's just you and me, Yurio."

"Like hell, it is," Yurio avoided my embrace, "I'm out."

And now, I was a prince unattended. At least, that's what it felt like. I wonder if Princess Yuko was here yet. She did say her knight went everywhere with her. Hopefully, she wasn't traveling alone tonight. As the night went on, there was still no sign of her. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough. Perhaps the smart thing to do was check with the man at the door.

"Phichit," I gave him a nudge in the back, "Could I ask you something?"

"Your highness," Phichit bowed to me, "Of course, sir. What is it?"

"Do you know if Princess Yuko has arrived yet?" I wondered.

"Not yet, sir," he shook his head.

"Let me know when she does please," I turned on my heel and went back inside. The entire party hinges on her arrival. That's the whole point of this.

When I went back to the ballroom, one of the other princes of a northern kingdom was showing off his muscle. He liked to call himself a king, though, despite the fact that his father had yet to step down from the throne. Personally, I never really cared for him, but I also didn't put up much of an effort to have him in my thoughts. Too arrogant for my tastes. Why Mila would've invited him is beyond me.

As much as I appreciated the thought, I needed to get some air. I went upstairs to my bedroom and out to my balcony. Where was he? Will I ever see him again or did I blow my chance already? There's no telling that he'd even like me. I needed a sign. Please...Send me my white knight. Let me see him again. Just once more...That's all I needed.

"It's ok..." Heavy breathing gasped under my balcony, "It's ok. It's ok. It's ok. Just need some air and you'll be ok."

"Hello?" I looked down at the ground to find someone pacing. Oh, hello...He's cute.

"I'm sorry!" he jumped, "Please forgive me, your highness. I'll be going..."

"Hold on," I stopped him, "It's alright. What's your name?"

"Yuri," his voice quivered.

"And who are you here with, Yuri?"

"Prince Victor!" Phichit came into my room, "Excuse the intrusion, sir, but..."

"Hold on, Phichit," I hushed, "Go on, Yuri. What were you saying?"

"Princess Yuko, highness..." he answered.

And in that moment, my heart stopped. Was this it? Was this the sign? My attendent at my door and my knight at balcony? Yay! I had to keep my internal squeal internal, though, "Thank you, Phichit."

"I really am sorry," Yuri bowed to me, "I'll leave you alone now."

"No, no," I wasn't going to let him slip between my fingers this time, "Phichit, would you please escort Sir Yuri up here? If that's alright with him."

"Me?" he gasped, "I don't know..."

"It's perfectly fine," I assured him, "We can't exactly carry on a conversation from here. Go on, Phichit."

"Yes, sir," Phichit scurried off to run my errand for me. This was it. This was what I wanted all night. Finally, I'd have a little time alone with him. I owed Mila big time for this.

"And Phichit," I added, "Bring us some champagne as well."

"Yes, sir."

Yuri looked like he could us a drink. He seemed pretty tense. I'm sure once he got some champagne in him, he'd be a little looser and feel a little better. I only saw him in dim lighting and from a distance. Please still be cute when you get up here. Please still be cute when you get up here. When Phichit walked in with a flute of champagne in each hand, my meek, little knight came up behind him. Playing shy, are we, Yuri? It's alright. You don't have to be scared around me.

"Thank you, Phichit," I took our champagne from him and gave a flute to Yuri, "Here."

"Me, sir?" Yuri still hadn't relaxed any. Was me being royalty really that intimidating?

"Yes," I nodded, doing everything but putting the glass in his hand, "Please. Sit with me."

"Ok," he sat stiffly next to me on my bed, taking the glass from me.

"Yuri," I tried my best to calm him down, but it's like nothing was working, "It's alright. Really, it is. At the end of the day, I'm a person, too."

"If you don't mind me asking," Yuri began, "Why did you ask me to come here? Shouldn't you be talking with Princess Yuko?"

"I don't want to talk to Princess Yuko," I clarified, "I wanted to speak with you. What made you so nervous when you were standing in my throne room last week."

"Well…" Blushing…This boy was blushing…There was a boy blushing on my bed, sharing a glass of champagne with me…And it was because of me, "You're you, your highness. A prince of the kingdom and next in line for the throne. That's why you should be looking for a princess and not for me."

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Do you know anything else about me?" I asked, "Outside of my title, do you know anything about who I am?"

"Not really."

"Well then," I got a little closer, "How about you and I get to know each other then?"

"Ok…"

"First of all," I took his hand, "Relax. We all end up the same. It doesn't matter if I have a title or not. Now, drink your champagne and enjoy yourself a little. Princess Yuko must have brought you along for a reason."

"Because she doesn't travel without some sort of protection," he started to loosen up, "More often than not, I'm the one protecting her. It's always been that way for as long as I can remember. I was told that I had to protect Yuko. It was only natural, since we grew up together. We've been best friends for the longest time. I love her, but she couldn't ever love me back."

"Why not?" my spirits started to dampen a bit. He's in love with someone else…I had to know what she had that I didn't.

"I'm a knight of her kingdom," Yuri went on, "She's a princess. Yuko has to be with another royal. That's just the way things work. And she wants to be with you. I can see it all over her face. She practically exploded when we left the other day."

"And you?" I wondered, "What did you think?"

"It's not really my place," he bit his tongue, staring into his empty glass.

"Go ahead," I switched him my full one for his empty. I should have Phichit get us some more.

"I wondered why I didn't see the same response in you," Yuri took another drink, "Yuko's cute, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"Then, why didn't you like her the way she liked you?" The champagne didn't just loosen Yuri up. It made him bold. I wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. The royalty in me wanted to hate it, but the human in me…I wonder how far I could push him. It's clear he's protective of Princess Yuko and he doesn't want to see her get hurt, but how could he think I'd be the one to hurt her?

"Because," I confessed, "I'm not interested. I might be falling for another already."

"Before you even give her a chance?" Yuri got defensive, maybe even down right mad at me.

Maybe I should give Yuko a little chance. Who knows? She could grow on me. And I did have to marry a princess. If I marry Yuko, that would mean I'd still get to see Yuri. Perhaps I should start courting her, "You know, Yuri…You make a very good point."

"I do?" he seemed almost shocked. I automatically took his side without a second thought.

"Yes," I nodded, "I should give Princess Yuko a chance. As her knight, could you give her a message for me?"

"Sure," Yuri scrambled, trying to regain the composure knocked out by the champagne, "What is it?"

"Tomorrow early afternoon," I decided, fighting back a smile on my face, "I'll be at her castle and we'll have our first date."

"Ok!" he turned very flustered very quickly. And I loved it.

Knock, knock.

"Excuse me, your highness," Phichit came in, "But Princess Yuko is wishing to go home."

I didn't realize how late it had gotten. It felt like I only had Yuri for such a short time, but hours had gone by, "Yes. Give the princess my sincerest apologies."

"Yes, sir," he bowed.

"I guess I should be going then," Yuri didn't want to leave either. And I wanted him to stay in the worst way, but all good things. It's only until tomorrow, "It was nice meeting you, your highness."

Before he could walk out of my bedroom, I called out to him, "Yuri, wait."

"Yes?"

In that instant, I told him the one thing that was unheard of for royalty to do. Especially with their help. Then again, Yuri wasn't exactly my help, "You can call me Victor."

He completely froze, stunned by my request, but he had to shake it off. He had to get back to his princess, "I hope to see you tomorrow…Victor."

"I'm looking forward to it," I smiled as he went off with Phichit. It's nice to see him out of the armor…I hated to see him go. But for now, I had a date with Princess Yuko tomorrow.

The party had come to an end and I didn't care. It was just an excuse to see Yuri again. And I think Mila might have had the same motives, but right now, none of that mattered. I had a date with Princess Yuko…Or rather, I had a date with Yuri tomorrow. And I couldn't wait. It made the wait for the party seem twice as long. I threw myself on my bed, a combination of irritated and flustered. How is it that I missed someone I only met for the first time tonight? I missed him terribly…

However, my wallowing didn't last very long as my younger sister flopped down on my bed. I looked over at her, "Please, Mila. Come in."

"So?" she wondered, brushing me off entirely, "How'd I do?"

"I love you," I pulled her to my chest, "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Vitya," Mila gave me a look, "Are you feeling ok?"

"No," I chuckled a little, "And I never want the feeling to go away."

"What happened?" she asked, "I feel like this is the first time I've really seen you all night."

"I've been up here mostly," I reported, "And I have a date tomorrow."

"Do you?" Mila grinned, "With who?"

I let out a heavy, breathy sigh as a smile stretched across my face, "His name is Yuri."

 **A/N: And so it begins…The cat and mouse love affair that Victor and Yuri are. And I love it. And I really can't wait to send them on their first date. It's going to be a beautiful thing. So, until then, my friends. See you next chapter! xx**


	3. Under the Old Oak

Hmm...No.

No...No...

Pass...Pass...Pass...

UGH!

Since when did my wardrobe get so sad? I woke up in such a good mood, too. My date with Yuri was today. We'd get to know each other even more. I could find out what he sees in Princess Yuko that I don't have and figure out how to adapt it into my own personality. Everything would be great! Until I look in my closet and realize I had nothing to wear. Then, I start to get a little pissed and the day begins to go downhill.

I threw myself onto the chaise lounge, entirely defeated. Nothing. I had nothing. Nothing was good enough. How could I have everything, but have nothing at the same time? This was maddening. I could've sworn I hired a stylist a few months back. They wouldn't be a help anyway. There's nothing here! My date with Yuri was rapidly approaching and by the way things were going, I'd be going naked. It's only the first date. We'll save the nudity for some other time. Just because he's a knight doesn't mean I'm any less of a gentleman.

"Vitya...?" my saving grace knocked, "Are you alright?"

"Hi, Mila," I groaned into the pillow, "To say I'm a mess would be a serious understatement."

"Clearly," she sat with me, "What's wrong, brother?"

"I'm nervous," I confessed, "I never get nervous, yet here I am, actually nervous."

"If I didn't know any better," Mila guessed, "I'd think you had a date or something. You're more nervous than a schoolgirl."

"I do have a date," I confirmed, "With Princess Yuko."

"But what about Yuri?" she wondered, "I thought Yuko wasn't floating your boat."

"She isn't," I went on, "That's why I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone. Princess Yuko doesn't travel by herself. She always has her knight with her."

"Victor, you sneaky boy," Mila praised, "You're making Princess Yuko the third wheel?"

"I know it's underhanded," I sat up a little more, "But it's the only way we can do this."

"Other than being honest about it," she pointed out, "But trust me. I understand. Do you need some help?"

"No," I got up entirely, "I think I got it. I'm just being overly dramatic."

"You?" Mila giggled, "You're being overly dramatic? I never would've guessed."

"Your sarcasm is greatly appreciated in my time of anguish, dear sister," I went back to looking through my clothes.

"As is yours," she kissed my cheek, "Let me know if you need anything, ok?"

"I will," I assured, "Thank you, Mila."

"And Vitya," Mila stood in the doorway, "If you're looking for a little friendly advice."

"Always."

"Dark blue near your face," she suggested, "Brings out those bright blue eyes of yours. And since it's a neutral color, it'll only make them stand out more."

"Really?" I wondered.

"Oh, my dear brother," Mila groaned, "You're so lucky to have me. Yes. Trust me. I know what I'm doing. And as strange as this is going to sound, wear something tight."

"Why tight?"

"Related or not," she explained, "You have a killer body. I've seen other princesses around you. Hell, some of the other princes even give you looks. I bet if you show that to Yuri, he'll think the same."

Like a reflex, I threw my arms around my sister, "I love you, Mila."

"I love you, too," Mila smiled, "I'm going to leave you to it then. Can you manage without me?"

"I think so." It's times like this where I was so thankful my closet was organized by color. I went into the section of dark blue and pulled a few things out. Something tight, huh? Alright. I can do that.

Not soon enough, I took a carriage to Yuko's castle just as I promised. She stood outside with a cutie of a knight standing next to her. I knew what was behind that helmet. I saw it with my own two eyes last night. Looks like my predictions were right. Yuko doesn't go anywhere without her knight. Score.

"Hello, your highness," Yuko bowed to me.

"Good afternoon, Princess," I extended the same courtesy. Although, it was nearly impossible to keep a smile off my face, "Yuri..."

"H…Hello, y-your highness," Yuri quivered. Always still so nervous in front of me, are you? And so formal in front of your princess? I thought I told you to call me Victor last night. Little do you know, though, I'm nervous, too. I'm just better at hiding it than you. It's alright. I'll be strong enough for the both of us.

"Shall we then?" I offered Yuko my arm, wishing with every fiber of my being that it was Yuri instead. Much like the party last night, this was nothing but a formality...And an excuse. And all for the same reason.

"Let's," Yuko graciously accepted, "You don't mind if Yuri comes along with us, do you?"

"Not at all," I allowed. I'd be an idiot if I said no to that. Typically, I traveled alone, but it'd be an insult if Yuri didn't come with us. I understood this was supposed to be a date between Yuko and me, but I had bigger game in mind. Maybe if I get in good with Yuko, it'd only make me that much closer to Yuri.

"Thank you," she smiled as I helped her into the back of the carriage, "Where are we going?"

"There's a little grove on the edge of my kingdom's border," I told her, keeping watch over Yuri from the corner of my eye, "It's a beautiful day. I thought we could go there."

"A little cold, though," Yuko pointed out, "But I like the cold."

"I do, too," I agreed, "Warm drinks, blankets..."

"Drowning in a sweater," she melted in her seat.

"An excuse to get a little closer," I flirted, making Yuri's armor rattle, "Those bitter, cold mornings where the only thing that can make it better is cozying up to a warm body."

"That does sound nice," Yuko moved closer to me while her knight subtly inched away. No, Yuri. Don't do that. Did I come on a little too strong? I'm sorry. Come back.

"It does, doesn't it?" Stay strong, Victor. Stay strong.

At the edge of the kingdom sat a grove that looked like something off a postcard. It was the most picturesque place in the whole kingdom. Especially this time of year. The leaves had already turned and fell to the ground. Even snow has fallen once or twice. Not much, but enough. This felt like my best kept secret. Other than the obvious. Most of the time when I sneak out of the castle, this is where I can be found. It's calm. It's quiet. It's serene.

"Prince Victor," Yuko was left in awe, "This is beautiful."

"I love it here," I helped her down. And Yuri shortly after. He tried to take my forearm, but I wasn't passing that opportunity up. I took Yuri's hand as I would Yuko. If I could see his face under his helm, I could almost guarantee he was bright red, "I thought a walk would be nice. It'd give us a chance to get to know each other."

"That sounds nice," Yuko wrapped herself around my arm. I tried to keep my cringing under wraps as well as I could. I don't think she noticed.

Yuko and I made small talk while Yuri followed us closely. If it weren't for the clinking of his armor, I wouldn't know he was there. Playing the role of her faithful knight as ever. Hopefully, the misery with Yuko would be worth it. I mostly tuned her out. There was nothing I hated more than forced small talk. This was my own personal hell. The things I do for you, Yuri.

"You know, your highness," Yuko broke away from talking about her kingdom and her cat for two seconds for a change, "I want to thank you for giving me a second chance. When I was in your throne room the other day, I didn't think you'd even give me consideration. I'm really glad you did."

"It was my pleasure, Princess," I gave her a halfhearted smile, "I'm not the one you should be thanking. Your knight made quite the argument for you."

"He did?" she looked to Yuri, who only got more fidgety. So, he was listening…

"That's right," I nodded with a sense of satisfaction in my heart, "He told me how much your eyes sparkled when you saw me."

"Yuri!" Yuko squeaked, giving him a swat as the blood rose in her cheeks. It's not like it was going to do anything to him, but if it made her feel better, "I told you that in confidence!"

"I'm sorry!" Yuri had the same enthusiasm, "I didn't mean to! It just slipped out!"

"In his defense," I stepped between them, "Yuri and I did have a bit of champagne between us. These things happen. And it's nothing to be embarrassed about, my princess. It's a shame we had to be arranged, though."

"Yes," Yuko looked down at her feet, "I wish we could've fallen in love the natural way."

"But you know what?" I lifted her chin back up.

"What?"

"I'm glad we met this way," I looked over Yuko's shoulder, giving a little wink, "I really am."

I didn't like this. I was hardly flirting with her. I defended Yuri immediately. Yet, he hadn't looked my way once. He even turned away just now. What the hell? Was he doing it out of respect? Was it because I was on a date with Yuko? I did get him a little drunk last night. Maybe liquor was the key to getting him to open up enough to fall in love with me. And that was only champagne.

"It's getting kind of cold out here," Yuko shivered, "A cup of tea sounds nice."

"You're right," I agreed, shaking off Yuri's obliviousness, "I know somewhere we can go."

There was a small, outdoor café not too far into the grove for just this occasion. The man who ran it made some of the best tea in the entire kingdom. It's a shame he didn't get much business. Although, I think I might have singlehandedly kept his business running. If not at least ninety percent. Especially given what his café is sitting on. The main reason why I kept coming back.

"That pond must be frozen quite a ways down," Yuko thought, "Do you skate, your highness?"

"I do," I nodded, "You?"

"I'm not very good," she brushed me off, "But Yuri is! He's really good! Ever since we were little, I've always loved watching him skate."

"Yuko!" Yuri blushed.

"Now, we're even," Yuko beamed, getting her revenge for earlier.

"Yuri," I requested, "Would you show me please?"

"Um…" Yuri wasn't sure what to think. Then again, I did ask him out of the blue, "I don't know, your highness. I haven't skated in a while."

"Come on, Yuri," Yuko begged, "Please?"

"Ok," he obliged, "Give me a minute. I can't really skate in armor."

"Alright," I let him go, "If you're looking for skate rentals, they're over there."

Yuri went to get out of his armor and get a pair of skates, giving Yuko and me a little alone time. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't making me sweat. The only reason I agreed to this was because of Yuri. I feel like I've already spent all day with Yuko and that she's told me her life story in the course of an hour. I didn't need to hear any more. Princess Yuko was a sweet girl, but not the one for me.

"There he is!" she chimed, "You have to see this, Prince Victor. He says he's not very good, but trust me. He lies. Or, rather…He underestimates himself."

There he was. Not many were on the ice today, but Yuri was there. And by the looks of him, he took Mila's advice, too. I didn't take Yuri for the skintight type, but damn, I'm glad he did. His limbs were thin, but defined. And his ass went on for days! Yuri was curvy and I loved it. I watched carefully, studying his every movement. Every axel, every lutz, every flip. Some were doubles, some were triples. He even did a quadruple flip that impressed me. It was my favorite move, too. However, more importantly, Yuri told quite the story through his movements.

Clearly, it was about a young knight. I could only assume it was Yuri. But his steps quickly turned into a ballroom step. A waltz, maybe? Yes. Definitely a waltz. My kingdom was well-known for a waltz. It was the music of our kingdom. But then, by the looks of his final spin, Yuri was projecting the knight's thoughts. They spiraled. And they kept spiraling. His spins grew faster and faster until he collapsed, reaching up to the sky. But then, he pulled himself back up. Or maybe…He was pulled back up by someone else. Yuri bowed to whoever it was that pulled him onto his feet again. Was this deliberate…? Because I'm pretty sure the one that pulled him up…

Is he…?

I let out an inaudible gasp as my little heart exploded seven ways to Sunday. Yuri knew how I felt! Unless this is purely coincidental. No. Not my Yuri. My Yuri seems more calculated than that. Something about him under all of the emotion and anxiety felt a bit sadistic. And if loving him made me a masochist, then so be it. I kind of liked it. When Yuri came back to us, I nearly broke down, but I had to pull myself together. Not in front of him.

"How did I do?" Yuri asked as Yuko was practically in tears. She was making it even harder for me to keep my own in.

"You're so good, Yuri," Yuko swooned. No, no…Back up. Because I know he's in love with you and I don't need someone coming in and ruining my chances. However, after what I just saw, I think his feelings may be changing.

"Thank you, Yuko," he smiled, making my heart skip a beat.

"What about you, your highness?" she wiped her eyes, "You said you could skate, too."

"My dear," I cradled Yuko's face in my hand, getting my own vengeance. Yuri almost made me cry in mixed company. We can't have that, "I'd much rather see you skate instead. I've had my fair share of injuries and I'd rather not aggravate them."

"Ok!" the smile returned to Yuko's face, "I'd love to!"

"Go on," I gave her a nudge toward the rental booth. Though, I must admit I had an ulterior motive for sending her away. It meant some time alone with Yuri. And he and I needed to have a little talk.

"She's not as bad as she says she is," Yuri promised, "Yuko and I used to skate together when we were younger a lot."

"She said the same thing about you," I bit my lip, "A little passive aggressive in your message, don't you think, Yuri?"

"What do you mean?" he played innocent. Ok. I could do this.

"You know exactly what I mean," I moved a little closer to him, "You didn't have to say a single word, yet your body told quite a story."

"Did it?" Yuri hid his face from me, "I don't know what it told you…"

"Yuri," I took his hand behind the railing, "I want you to do me a favor…"

"What?" he shook in my grasp.

"I want you to meet me at my balcony," I insisted, "Tonight. Midnight. Can you do that for me?"

"Um," Yuri blushed a little, "Yes, your highness. I'll try."

"Yuri…"

"I'm sorry, Victor," he already knew his mistake, "It's a habit."

"Tonight," I reiterated, "Midnight."

And with that said, I brought Yuri and Yuko back to her castle with a quick, innocent kiss to send her off. As soon as I got back to my own palace, I threw myself on my bed, rolling around, doing my best to keep my squealing to a minimum, flustered to all hell, but in the best way. I didn't have to be nervous this time around. Because this time, I didn't have to worry about behaving myself as a royal. Yuri knew what being around royalty was already like. And we've seen each other slightly drunk. I'm sure he didn't care.

He was falling for me, wasn't he? At least I hope so. It sure looked like it on that ice today. And he really was better than he gave himself credit for. Yuko and I could agree on that much. But our love for her knight was the only thing we really had in common. She was sweet and cute, but she wasn't for me. She wasn't Yuri…

"Victor!" an angry voice growled at my door, "Why the hell are you so damn happy?"

"Love makes you do crazy things, little brother," I beamed, "You'll see one day."

"Yuko had that much of an impact?" Yurio asked.

"Yeah," I giggled, "It was Yuko."

Or maybe Yuko's knight instead…

 **A/N: SO! I got a comment last week saying that Victor and Yuri should just kiss already. I like this idea better. A little more teasing. For now anyway. By the way, tomorrow, in case you don't know, is going to be YOI's first birthday! Our beloved fandom has grown up so fast and I love you all dearly. And I'm pretty sure you're going to love me next week. Because, oooh, buddy…Do I have plans for that. Victor did say midnight, didn't he? And with that being said, I'll see you next chapter.**


	4. Midnight

Tonight was the night. The real first date. Going out with Yuko wasn't terrible, but if I had my way, it wouldn't have been Yuko. However, it wouldn't be much longer until I got my way. After his beautiful display at the pond, I still couldn't believe Yuri felt that way. And even more so that Yuko didn't pick up on it. He told such a touching story of forbidden love. I remembered each move vividly, playing it over and over in my head. And I couldn't wait to see him again.

"Good night, Vitya," Mila stood in my doorway.

"Good night, Mila," I sat up, "Are you going to bed already?"

"Yes," she rocked back on her heels nervously, "I am going to bed...Just me...By myself...You?"

"Me, too," I nodded, lying through my teeth, "Going to bed. It's been a long day. Things to do tomorrow."

"I never asked you," Mila came in, sitting at the edge of my bed, "How did your date with Princess Yuko go?"

"Fine." I loved my sister, but she needed to get out of here. I had to make things perfect before Yuri got here. And none of our evening plans involved my sister.

"That's nice." By the look of her twitching, Mila had somewhere to go as well, "You're right. It has been a long day. I'll go to bed now."

"Ok," I walked her out. Mila was acting shifty. The same way I was. Maybe I wasn't the only one with company tonight. As her brother, I had every right to be concerned, "Mila..."

"What?"

"If there was something going on," I wondered, shooting glances toward my balcony, "You'd tell me, right?"

"Of course," Mila was still off, but I had other things on my mind and she needed to leave.

"Good night, dear sister," I kissed her cheek and sent her off.

What was I missing? My bedding was soft and silky. Some of the finest in the kingdom. I put pajamas on an hour ago. They were silk, too. The castle was too warm for velvet. There was something missing, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I wanted something that would make it feel like the night we met all over again. Something that would keep Yuri relaxed. Why else would I ask him to come to my balcony? I got it!

I cracked my bedroom door to find my attendant standing outside, "Phichit, come here. I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, your highness," he straightened up, "What do you need?"

"I need you to get me a bottle of wine," I ordered, "A good bottle."

"What kind, sir?" Phichit asked.

"A white," I thought it over, "No...Let's do a pink Moscato. That sounds nice."

"Just one glass or should I bring the bottle?"

"Bring the bottle," I insisted, "Two glasses. I have a bit of a problem."

"Hard day, sir?" Phichit worried.

"You try being royalty," I laughed it off, hoping he'd hurry up, "Go on, Phichit. Bring me the bottle and two glasses."

"Yes, sir!"

As Phichit ran off to the wine cellar for me, I went out to my balcony. How did you do it, Yuri? How did you manage to capture the heart of a prince so easily? And why am I surrendering without any attempts of fighting back? Honestly, I have no problem with that. When you hit me, you didn't hurt me. You made things a bit more interesting. You took my boredom and gave me a reason to wake up in the morning. I know it's sudden, but still...

I missed him. And I just saw him a few hours ago. Maybe he's more than just a knight and he's some sort of wizard. Maybe Yuri slipped me some sort of love potion at the party. No. That's ridiculous. Because he had me interested when he walked into the throne room with Yuko. Everyone is usually nervous when they meet me, but something was different about Yuri. I found the rattle in the armor rather charming.

"Your highness," Phichit came back with the bottle of Moscato and two glasses, just as I asked, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to go to bed now."

"Yes," I allowed, "Thank you, Phichit. Good night."

"Good night, sir," he bowed and started walking out.

"Victor," a soft, gentle whisper spoke at my balcony, "Are you there?"

And it made Phichit stop in his tracks. He had the sharpest hearing of anyone in the entire castle. Sometimes that was a benefit. In this case, it was a severe detriment, "Did you say something, your highness?"

"No," I shook my head, "Must have been the wind whistling through the gaps in the stone. We really should get someone on that."

"Yes, sir," he took another bow, "Good night."

"Good night, Phichit."

We were going to have to be extra careful. Phichit hears everything. Phichit knows all. And keeping anything from Phichit was nearly impossible. It's a shame he's only an attendant. He'd be an excellent addition to the kingdom's military. Despite the fact that we're in peacetimes, Phichit would make a perfect spy.

Was it midnight already? As soon as the bedroom door was shut, I went back out to my balcony, "Do you realize how close you were to getting us caught?"

"I'm sorry," Yuri's face was barely lit by the soft moonlight. It suited him, "I didn't know you had someone else in there."

"Regardless," I let it slide, "Yuri! You're here!"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," he pointed out, "But how am I supposed to get in when the castle doors are locked tight?"

"You have to get creative," I explained, "I've snuck out of the castle enough to know every secret passage like the back of my hand."

"So, where's the nearest one?"

"I thought that'd be obvious," I giggled to myself, "Just climb the lattice."

"The lattice?" Yuri worried, surveying the treacherous climb he was about to make, "Doesn't that seem a little dangerous?"

"You won't fall," I assured, "I've done it a million times before and not once have I fallen."

"You also have longer legs than me."

So, he's been looking? If that doesn't make my heart go all pitter patter, "Don't worry, Yuri. You'll be ok. Don't think about how far it is to the bottom. Think about what's waiting for you at the top."

"And..." Yuri put his foot in the first hole, "What's waiting for me at the top?"

"Silk sheets and a bottle of Moscato," I told him, "Just keep focused on me, ok?"

"Ok," he kept looking up and before we knew it, he was already halfway up. Until he slipped a little, "Ah!"

"It's alright," I reassured him, "It's fine. You're almost here. Like I said, keep your eyes on me. I'll keep mine on you if you keep yours on me."

"Promise?" Yuri quivered.

"Promise," I swore, "Just be careful."

"Ok." Inch by inch, he kept moving, not breaking eye contact with me. I know I thought he had some sort of mystical power over me, but maybe I had one on him, too. Yuri seems to be more relaxed when he's around me, but at the same time, I never saw that boy more anxious than when he's around me. After a few words of reassurance, though, he calms down.

"See?" I took Yuri's hand and helped him the rest of the way, "That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

"Easy for you to say," he panted, "I lost my shoe."

"No need to worry about that," I brushed him off, "Wine?"

"Yes, please."

"That's what I like to hear," I grabbed one of the glasses off the table and uncorked the bottle, "I can't believe you showed up."

"I can't believe I just climbed the lattice," Yuri started to catch his breath, taking his glass from me, "Victor..."

"Yes?" I started pouring for myself, sitting next to him on my bed. Things seem to be going well and he only just got here.

"Why did you ask me here?" he wondered. So innocent.

"You know exactly why you're here," I took a long, slow drink, "When you told Princess Yuko that I was taking her out today, did you ask her if you could come along?"

"Honestly..." Yuri blushed, looking down at his feet, "Yes. I did. But it was only to keep her safe!"

"I'm sure it was," I nodded, letting him have that one, "Did you miss me?"

"Well," he sipped, "I liked the other night when it was just the two of us. That was nice."

"Me, too," I agreed, taking his free hand, "I like spending time with you, Yuri."

"If I'm not being too forward," Yuri suggested, "I want us to do this more. But I know we can't."

And there goes the sound of my heart breaking, "Why's that?"

"Because of you and Yuko," he sighed.

"Yuri..." I gripped him a little tighter, "You told me to give Yuko a shot, so I did. I'm still not interested. I knew that going into it."

"Why not...?"

"Because I knew it meant seeing you again," I confessed, "Even if it would've been brief, the whole date would've been entirely worth it. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was when I knew you'd be joining us. I could hardly contain myself. I know I don't have feelings for Yuko and that I probably never will."

"But why?"

"Because I have them for you." You're so lucky you're cute, Yuri.

My bedroom went silent. And Yuri went still. For a brief moment, I didn't feel his pulse, "Me...?"

"Yes," I moved a little closer, "You."

"But..." his voice broke, "Why?"

"I can't tell you that," I bit my lip, "But that's how I know. If I could say what I loved about you specifically, it wouldn't be love. It'd be infatuation. My sister told me that once and it's stuck with me ever since."

"Then, how do you know?" Yuri met me, his leg against mine.

"I just do," I smiled, "Since I can forgive you for being so forward, can I ask you to extend the same courtesy?"

"Sure."

"Stay with me tonight," I begged, "Please..."

Just as Yuri's normal color started to come back, he turned a bright shade of red yet again. I love that I can make him blush so easily, "I don't know, Victor..."

"I promise you can leave in the morning," I bargained, "I just want you to stay tonight."

Yuri thought it over for a minute or two. Each second longer than the last, "We're just sleeping?"

"Yes," I promised, "It's a little soon for any of that. I am a gentleman."

He finished his wine off and laid his head on my shoulder, afraid I was going to break. Or worse, reject him altogether, "Ok. I'll stay."

I couldn't help myself. I threw my arms around Yuri and held him tight against my chest, forcing back happy tears, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." And to make things even better, he wasn't pushing me off him. Yuri stayed close to me for a while. And we went back to sitting in silence. This time, it wasn't because it was awkward or uncomfortable or out of pure shock. It was because nothing needed to be said. In all honesty, Yuri kind of caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting him to succumb so easily to me.

As he laid in my arms, Yuri looked up at me. And I looked down at him. I couldn't let him have all the surprises. He surprised me by showing up in the first place and not shoving me away the first chance he got. My hug was the only thing that caught him off guard. I needed to even the score, so I did the one thing that could surprise him the same way he surprises me.

Those soft, pink lips of his...They looked awfully inviting. Yuri buried his face in my chest, taking in my presence more. Oh, no, no, no...You're not playing shy on me anymore. You were bold on that ice this afternoon and the night of the party. Plus, you've had a little wine in you. You can't fool me. I brought us both down on my bed and brought his face closer to mine. And before one more breath could come between us, I surprised him with a gentle kiss that I never wanted to end. Yet again, Yuri didn't pull away from me.

"Good night, Yuri," I cradled him delicately.

"Good night, Victor," Yuri curled into me, not wanting to be anywhere else. To think, he could be back in his own kingdom in his own bed, probably with a few hours of sleep under his belt already while I stared up at my ceiling. And all while his own princess had dreams of her prince. But instead, the knight in the rattling armor slept soundly against me. I couldn't help but watch. Yuri looked so peaceful. Like an entirely different person altogether.

The next morning, I woke up to him moving around in my embrace, gently trying to move my arm off him, so he didn't wake me. Little did he know, I was already awake. I grabbed him by the back of his waistband, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have a princess to get home to," Yuri fell back onto my bed, "I can't have Yuko finding out I slept with her boyfriend last night."

"Yuri," my chest ached, "Don't go..."

"I have to." I could see it all over his face. Yuri didn't want to go either, "But...Maybe we can do this again?"

"Anytime," Yuri brought the smile back to my face, "I'll miss you."

"You know where I'll be," he pointed out, "Anytime you want to see me again, just arrange for another date with Yuko."

"I might have to soon," I thought, "I'd tell you to deliver the message, but that might raise too much suspicion. I'll send my attendant."

"Phichit, right?" Yuri asked.

"Right," I gave him a look, "How do you know my attendant?"

"Phichit is a friend of mine," he explained, "But don't worry. I don't like my lovers younger than me. I have three years on him."

"Good," I relaxed, "I'll see you soon."

"I hope so," Yuri took the lattice down and left me at my balcony. And I missed him already.

In my slight sadness, yet still enveloped in afterglow, I stepped out into the hallway, finding my sister in the same state, "Good morning, Mila."

"Good morning," she let out a soft, lyrical sigh.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," Mila nodded with a permanent smile on her face, "You?"

"Me, too," I chewed on my lip.

"You're glowing, Vitya," she teased, "Did someone have nice dreams last night?"

Was it all a dream? If it was, may I never wake up. I bit down on the back of my tongue, hoping not to feel any pain. Fortunately, that wasn't the case, "No. I wouldn't say nice dreams."

But it was truly a good morning...

 **A/N: Hi, guys. So…? We have our first slumber party. Thoughts? Is it not adorable? I hope nothing bad ever happens to these boys and they're together forever and ride off into the sunset together. For those of you saying they needed to kiss already…You're welcome. See you next chapter! xx**


	5. Red Handed

Rainy days in the castle were always nice. The gentle pitter patter on the roof. The sweet smell in the air. The soft rumble of thunder every few minutes. A quiet serenity seemed to blanket the world when it rained. Although, I must admit. One thing could've made this better. I just hoped that one thing got home ok last night. I missed him. And when times of woe fell upon me, I found myself in a room in the west wing of the castle. Just down the hall from my own.

"Mila," I knocked, "Are you in? I have a feeling that I shouldn't be left alone..."

"What's the matter, Vitya?" Mila offered me a spot on her bed, "Is the weather getting to you?"

"No," I never got depressed on a rainy day. Not like this, "Just a little lonely."

"Maybe you should get a dog," she teased. I know she meant well, though. Maybe she had a point, "Or hurry up and find that princess our parents are so adamant about."

"You know as well as I do," I rolled my eyes, "Princesses don't do much for me."

"I know," Mila draped her arm around me in attempts to make me feel better, "By the way, I was outside this morning before the rain hit and I found something outside your balcony. Are you, by chance, missing a shoe?"

"No," I smiled a little, "All of my shoes are accounted for."

"Cut the shit," she demanded, "Did you have company last night? Because climbing up the lattice outside your balcony is a very you thing to do and that's a quick way to get into the castle after the doors are locked."

"First of all," I scolded her, "We've had the language talk, Mila."

"So?" Mila shrugged, "Did you or didn't you?"

"I might have," a little grin stretched across my face, "What would you say if I did?"

"Details," she mirrored me, "Who did you have here? What happened?"

"I did have someone over last night," I confessed, "And this stays between you and me."

"I swear."

"Hold on," I had to make sure everything was covered, "Phichit...?"

Silence.

"What would you want Phichit for?" Mila wondered, "Besides, I think he's downstairs."

"Phichit knows everything," I told her, "But I had Yuri come over. During my date with Yuko, he was there. At one point, the three of us ended up at the little frozen pond I love so much."

"Look at you, Victor," she gave me a nudge, "It's only the first date and you're already pulling out all the stops."

"It gets better."

"Did you show off?" Mila hoped, "Your ice skating skills are quite remarkable."

"Mila, please," I scoffed, "My skills are godly. But I didn't use them. I watched Yuko skate instead."

"So you could have some alone time with Yuri?" she assumed.

"Partially, yes," I nodded, "But before Yuko skated, she had Yuri skate..."

"Oh?" Mila sang, "And did he capture the heart of the prince?"

"Worse," I stretched out on her bed, feeling something sharp in her sheets. I didn't think too much of it, "He showed the prince his own heart. And in the heart of the knight was the prince that so terribly longed for him. Yuri told me all he needed to tell without saying a word. His form was a sight to be seen, Mila. And I don't only mean his body this time. I saw him bare his soul on that ice. And it was beautiful...While Yuko was skating, I told him to come by that night. And he did. When he climbed up the lattice, he slipped and his shoe fell into the bushes. We talked for a while. Some things were said."

"I thought those things didn't need to be said," she wondered, "What could he have possibly said that wasn't said on the ice?"

"Well," I blushed a little, "I asked him to stay with me last night."

"Victor!" Mila squeaked, "Someone's awfully bold."

"The worst he could do was say no," I shrugged, "But he didn't. Yuri left a few hours ago."

"So, that's Yuri's shoe in our bushes..."

"That's right," I confirmed, "But before you judge, you might want to see if you're so innocent."

"What are you insinuating?" she gasped, a bit offended.

"Your bedding smells different," I pointed out, "More earthy...more herbal. Not to mention, I've had an earring poking at me since I laid down."

"So, I lost my earring," she knew she was on a slippery slope downward, but she still wanted to cover her tracks, "Thank you for finding it."

"You always take your earrings out before you go to bed, Mila," I smirked, "Now, would you care to be honest with me and tell me about your night last night? It's only fair since I told you all about mine."

Mila's back was against the wall. I had her cornered. She had no other choice than to come clean, "Alright. You're not the only one that had someone over last night."

"Is this Sara's earring?" I figured.

"Yeah," she took it from me, looking it over closely, "On the plus side, I have an excuse to go see her again."

"Maybe you should start seeing the prince," I jabbed, "Or better yet, fall for one of their knights. That's probably work, too."

"Hey," Mila pouted, "We're talking about my love story, not yours."

"At this rate," I giggled, "We should check in on Yurio."

"He's busy training with our knights," she said, "I saw him on the training grounds the other day. Scrappy little thing."

"I'm not surprised," I thought, "Yurio, if he's in the right mood, could probably rip someone in half with his bare hands."

"I don't think our mother and father would allow him to become a knight," Mila let out a little sigh, "Given that he may take the throne one day. It's bad enough, Georgi renounced his title. There's no way they'd allow that to happen again."

"Thanks, Mila," my smile started to fade again, "It's not like I've thought about that or anything."

"Hold on," she stopped me, "Vitya, are you thinking about giving up the throne?"

"A knight can't exactly be a prince, can he?" I balled up on Mila's bed, "And a prince can't marry a knight. That's not the way things are supposed to work. I'm going to have to marry Yuko, aren't I?"

"If it means that much to you," Mila took my hand, "I'll take the kingdom."

"So you have to go through the same hell as me?" I hugged her tight, "I wouldn't put you through that, Mila. You should know better. At least you're still going after royalty, though."

"Victor," she shoved her finger in my chest, "You know how I feel about the whole arranged marriage thing. It's an old tradition that needs to be wiped out. Honestly, I think you could be the one to do that. Who says you need to marry royalty?"

"Doctrines that have been running this kingdom since its conception."

"Times are changing, dear brother," Mila curled into me like she did when we were young, "I really do think you could do it. And if need be, I'll back you up on it."

"I appreciate the thought," I kissed the top of her head, "But I think I'll be able to handle it. With my charm and charisma, I can do just about anything."

"That's the spirit!" she praised, "Hey, Victor..."

"Yes, Mila?"

"About Yuri," Mila thought it over, "Do you think I could meet him?"

"Why would you want to meet Yuri?" I wondered.

"You speak so highly of him," she pointed out, "I just want to see if he lives up to the hype."

"Trust me," I assured, "He does."

"I still want to meet him, though," Mila wasn't going to let up. I might as well.

"Ok," I agreed, "I'll send Phichit right away to extend the invitation for Yuko and Yuri to come here and you'll be able to meet both of them. Yuko's sweet, so try not to let her know about Yuri and me."

"Your secret is safe with me," she promised, "And I'm not going to tell Phichit either. Even though every piece of gossip in the kingdom goes through us."

"Mila," I threatened, "I'm not the only one with a secret here."

"Point made," Mila let it go, "Send Phichit to get Yuko and Yuri here. As soon as possible."

"What are you doing, barking orders at me?" I teased, "And you tell me I'm bold."

"Hey!" she argued, "I am a princess of this kingdom and a queen in my head. I can give you orders if I want."

"I love you, Mila," I held her a little tighter, "Never change."

"I love you, too," my sister laid her head on my shoulder, "Now, go tell Phichit to get Yuko and Yuri."

"Yes, your highness," I respectfully obliged.

I left my sister to pine for her princess while I searched for my attendant. Phichit could be rather elusive at times. I didn't expect to find him in the kitchen with some of the other staff, though. Phichit was never shy to offer his assistance in the kitchen. In fact, I didn't mind it at all. He didn't cook often, but when he did, magical things happened.

"Phichit," I tapped on his shoulder while he added an assortment of spices to the pork slow roasting over an open flame.

"Yes, your highness?" he didn't even break his concentration. And I'd hate myself for taking him away from this.

"I need you to go to Princess Yuko's castle," I ordered, "Extend an invitation for tea tomorrow here."

"Yes, sir," Phichit accepted, "If I could make one little request, your highness..."

"What is it?"

"Could I finish seasoning the pork first?" he asked, "I swear I'll go right after!"

"Phichit," I settled him, "It's fine. Don't worry about it. As long as it gets done today."

"I'm almost done," Phichit took his last shaker, being delicate with it.

"And make sure that invitation includes Princess Yuko's usual plus one," I stipulated, trying not to be too obvious, "She'll know who I'm talking about."

"Right away, sir!"

The sooner Yuri could get back here, the better. I wonder if he took the invitation for coming over anytime seriously. Because I know I meant it. Don't get me wrong. Yuri had definitely stolen my heart, but at times, no matter how obvious I made it, he couldn't tell if I was flirting or just striking up conversation. Sometimes, his innocence was kind of cute. Other times, it frustrated the hell out of me. The chances of me getting the same wonderful sleep I had last night were slim.

Especially when I wouldn't have Yuri to cuddle with. My bed was too big to sleep alone in anymore. Fortunately, before I went to sleep, Phichit came to me with good news of Yuko's impending visit. It would've broken my heart if she would've said no. Although we hadn't known each other very long, I knew Yuko wouldn't say no. Either Yuri would talk her into it or she'd remember something I said, something I did. Anything that was enough to make her swoon.

That morning, I woke up still a little sleepy, but for the most part, bright eyed and bushy tailed. How could I not be? In a few short hours, I'd see Yuri again. Even though he'd be covered in armor. I didn't mind. I knew what was hiding underneath. My favorite little bundle of nerves that hid his boldness from everyone in the world except for me. And it might be a little selfish, but that was the way I liked it. The one side he showed to no one but me. The world should be jealous.

I couldn't wait. I practically stared out my window almost desperate. Since when did I start doing that? I've never gotten this smitten over a girl before and I knew I wasn't starting now. It was the cute boy she'd be bringing with her. It disgusted me how quickly I fell for him, but Yuri made it so easy. Screw reining it in. Life's too short for that kind of silliness. When I heard their carriage pull up to the door and Phichit announce their arrival, a sense of extreme giddiness bubbled inside me. He's here! He's here! Yay!

"Princess Yuko!" Mila had already beaten me to the punch, "It's so nice to meet you!"

"Likewise, Princess Mila," Yuko's sweet little voice chimed, "I haven't seen you since the party. How are you?"

"I'm lovely," Mila set her eyes on the suit of armor. No…Dibs, "Please. Call me Mila. Who have you brought along with you, your highness?"

"This is Yuri," she introduced him, "He's a knight of my kingdom and the best friend I've ever had."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Yuko," I joined them, hopefully setting Yuri a little more at ease.

"Prince Victor," Yuko's face lit up, "Thank you for the invitation. I missed you."

"And I missed you, too," I shot a glance over her shoulder with a smile on my face, "Shall we?"

"Of course," Yuko went ahead with Mila, who so graciously took her off my hands for a moment or two, while I stayed behind with Yuri.

"I missed you, too," Yuri kept his voice down.

"You could've come over last night," I reminded him, "My balcony is always open."

"We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves," he pointed out, "That's only going to be fuel for a disaster."

"True," I agreed, "By the way, speaking of you coming over, Mila told me she found a shoe in the bushes this morning."

"I'd like that back." But then, the gravity of what I just said had hit poor Yuri like a ton of bricks, "Wait, Princess Mila found my shoe?"

"Relax," I settled him, "It's fine."

"Did you tell her it was yours?" Yuri hoped.

"Yuri," I promised, "I swear to you, it's fine. Besides, I have something on Mila. She's not going to tell anyone about us."

"What do you have on her?" he wondered.

"That's a secret," I gave him a little wink, "Before they start to make their own theories."

And so began our afternoon. Mila and Yuko were becoming fast friends and with every question, she gauged Yuri's reaction. Some were general, some were purposefully intimate. I knew I shouldn't be surprised, but for Yuko's sake, I thought she would've pulled her punches a little bit. Then again, it was Mila and Mila had no shame. Maybe it'd be enough to make Yuko uncomfortable to the point where she'd leave me alone. But if I don't have a Yuko, I won't have a Yuri. However, some of them were even making Yuri squirm. I loved my sister, but sometimes, she needed a filter.

"Uh…Victor…" Yuko nudged me under the table, "Can I talk to you? Privately?"

"Sure," I agreed, keeping my head about me and excusing us from the table. I brought Yuko over to an empty hall, "What is it, Yuko? What has my princess so worried?"

"I know," Yuko wouldn't even look at me.

"What do you know about?" I started to sweat a little.

"You and Yuri…" And my stomach dropped half way through the world. How the hell would she know about Yuri and me? It's not like we gave off any sort of hints that we had any sort of relationship, "Before you say anything, I want you to know it's ok."

"What's ok?" I played ignorant, "What about Yuri and me?"

"Since the two of us have started seeing each other," she began, "You and Yuri have gotten closer. It was only inevitable that you two became best friends. I don't mind that. Besides, if you and Yuri are best friends, that could only make us closer, right?"

"Right," I nodded, letting her believe whatever delusions she wanted to. You're sweet, Yuko, but we're never going to happen. And she just scared me into an early grave, "I guess I just have a bad habit of making friends with everyone."

"And that's why I asked to speak with you," Yuko went on, "Yuri seems off today. Like he's tired. He won't tell me anything, but maybe he'll talk to you. I don't even have to know what it is bothering him. I just want him to be able to vent."

"Don't worry," I set her mind at ease, gently kissing her forehead, "I'll talk to him."

"Thank you," she rested her head on my chest, "I really am worried about him."

"I'll find out what's going on," I held her hands, "I promise."

"Alright," Yuko pulled away.

"Yuri," I put on a rather commanding tone, curious as to what his reaction would be, "Come here."

"Yes, sir!" he immediately sprung up. Wow. Either he's doing it out of respect or out of submission. No matter which way, it gave me a nice little power trip, "What is it?"

"Come with me," I demanded, dragging him a little further down the hall out of both eye and earshot. I did a quick look around to make sure we were completely alone, "Take off your helmet."

"Ok," Yuri shook a little, taking his helmet off, "What did you want me for, your highness?"

Without another thought, I pinned my knight to the wall, kissing him hard, "I missed you."

To my surprise, Yuri flipped things around, with me against the wall and losing ourselves in our kiss, "I missed you, too."

"I said it once," I reminded, "I'll say it again. You could have come back last night."

"You know why I didn't," he blushed, realizing how forward he was. That was one of the cutest things Yuri ever did. He'd play the dominant, but a split second later, he'd get all embarrassed, "It's bad enough Princess Mila was slightly drilling me about our relationship and what I thought about you. You're sure she won't say anything?"

"If she threatens you," I suggested, "Ask her about the earring in her bed. She'll shut right up."

"Ok," Yuri looked down at his feet, "Can we go back to kissing then?"

"It'd be my pleasure," I pulled him against me, fighting his soft lips with my own, never wanting it to ever end. His tongue overlapping mine. My eyes rolling back in my head. Pure magic, "By the way, Yuri…"

"What?" he rested his head in my shoulder, catching his breath.

"Yuko wanted me to check on you," I cradled him, the cool metal from his armor helping with the heat going everywhere else, "She said you seemed a little tired today."

"That's because I was with her boyfriend last night," Yuri giggled a little, making my heart instantly turn into a puddle, "And I had to rush home."

"Will her boyfriend be seeing you again tonight?" I hoped.

"Maybe…"

"If that's how you want to play it," I teased, "I guess we should go back then."

"So soon?" Yuri whined. I couldn't bear seeing a frown on his face for too long.

"We'll always have midnight," I held his hand, "Should I have another bottle of pink Moscato on ice when you get there?"

"Yes, please…"

 **A/N: My apologies for the mini heart attack when we all thought Yuko was going to hook a sister up and let Victor and Yuri be together, but she's just oblivious. You know…Victor and Yuri are best friends! HA. I'm sorry…I'll just be over here being a sad loser. Actually, I'm tired as balls and I want to go to bed. So, good night, and I'll see you next chapter! xx**


	6. Armor of My Own

**A/N: For those of you saying that Victor Nikiforov is a lovesick angel, you're absolutely right. And it's only going to get worse from here.**

After a nice dinner, I liked to spend some time alone in the library. Something about being surrounded by literature was rather relaxing. The world seemed infinite in this room. Some of the best stories ever written sat on these shelves. They had to be great to be in the royal library. It's too bad that my favorite love story had yet to be in here. Then again, it had yet to be written. If I could write, I'd put it down on paper. Unfortunately, I didn't have that kind of talent.

"I thought I'd find you in here," a familiar voice boomed through our library.

"Hello, Father," I bowed, "Were you looking for me?"

"Yes, I was," he nodded, "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," I pulled up a chair, "I have some time to kill. What's on your mind?"

"Princess Yuko," Father began, "She's been coming to the castle more and more lately."

"Is that not ok?" I asked.

"It's not that," he sat with me, "It's just...Princess Yuko? Really?"

"Why not?" I shrugged, "Do you not approve of her?"

"She's too cute," Father scoffed, "Too soft. How does one rule a kingdom being soft?"

"Perhaps the kingdom will be a much kinder place," I figured, "They don't always need an iron fist."

"When are you going to ask for her hand?" It was a rarity when he caught me off guard, but that was a punch to my stomach. This was why I hated the idea of an arranged marriage. This wasn't right.

"I don't know, sir," I dropped my gaze to my feet where the shattered remains of my heart would take their eternal rest.

"It better be soon," Father demanded, "The fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance."

"But Father," I stopped him, "Isn't it better to marry for love than for politics?"

"You didn't get that lucky," he got up, "I did let you pick, didn't I?" That was what Mila's ridiculous spectacle was for. Was that not enough?"

"I guess," I bit my tongue. That wasn't exactly what that party was for...

"Always nice speaking with you, son," my father patted my shoulder and left me in the library.

Although, the library had suddenly lost its luster. After that, I just wanted to run to the stables and take off, never to be seen again. I didn't want to cause mass panic throughout the kingdom and I'm sure a runaway prince would do exactly that. Instead of putting my kingdom through that kind of turmoil, I'm sure crying it out in my bedroom would do just as well.

Maybe I could do what Georgi did. I could go get ordained, become a priest, live in the monastery. He joined because his beloved couldn't handle the amount of love he had to give her. When she left, Georgi didn't come out of his room for weeks. Then, he renounced his title and devoted his life to God. I'm not religious enough to do that. And the love of my life didn't leave me. We just couldn't be together and I'd have to marry his princess instead...

Click...

What the hell...?

Click...

I went out to my balcony and found two little pebbles laying on the floor. Weird. I threw them back on the ground where they belonged. The winds weren't strong enough to get them up here. Maybe they rolled off the roof.

"Victor..." a soft voice called up to me, "Down here!"

I looked over the edge, my voice still a bit raw from crying, "Yuri?"

"Could I come up, your highness?" he requested.

"I'm insulted you asked," I allowed, doing my best to pull myself together. Yuri didn't need to see me like this, "I wasn't expecting you tonight, so forgive me for our lack of Moscato."

"That's alright," Yuri pulled himself up, "I don't always come here for a drink."

"I'm so happy you're here," I hugged him tight, never ever wanting to let him go.

"Victor," he pushed my hair out of my face, "Have you been crying?"

"No," I suppressed another wave of tears, my voice breaking in the process.

"Hey," Yuri saw right through me, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." It's not your fault, Yuri. I don't want to put you in that kind of position.

"Are you sure?" he worried, "Talk to me, Victor. There's something bothering you."

"Well..." I'm sure venting a little couldn't hurt, "I was told that I have to propose to Yuko. And soon."

"Says who?" Yuri asked, the two of us falling onto my bed.

"My father," I laid my head in his chest, "I don't want to marry Yuko, Yuri. If I fell in love with her the natural way, then I'd consider it, but I don't love her. I barely like her. She's alright in small doses, but to spend the rest of my life with her?"

"If you had your way," he figured, "You wouldn't be marrying Yuko."

"No," I sighed out, "I'd be marrying you."

"What?" That slipped out...No sense in going back now.

"I love you, Yuri," I confessed, "There's no denying that. I'm sorry, but it's true."

He's so cute when I catch him by surprise. Yuri's embrace tightened around me, "You do?"

"Of course," I put my hand to his quickly reddening cheek, "What's not to love?"

"How long do you have...?"

"Yuri," I scolded.

"I'm sorry," he bit his tongue, "Come here."

I buried my head in Yuri's chest. And everything was ok again. For now anyway, "Yuri..."

"Yes?"

The tears in the back of my throat started bubbling back up. No. Victor, swallow that. Swallow your emotions. Don't scare Yuri off, "Stay with me tonight...Please..."

Yuri wouldn't say no to that. He didn't even have to say yes. I knew his answer right off the bat. He didn't want to move. I didn't want him to move. Slowly, I fell asleep in my true love's arms. My father's words in the library quickly faded from memory and the world seemed to be in order again.

The next morning, my door opened and a lyrical voice chimed, "Vitya, you missed breakfast. You never do that. You're not sick or anything, are you?"

I opened my eyes to see my sister standing near my bed, "Good morning to you, too, Mila. Haven't you heard of knocking?"

"When has that ever stopped me?" she asked, "Sleeping in, are we?"

"I guess," I rubbed my eyes, "I have been a little stressed lately."

"What are you laying on, Victor?" Mila looked over my shoulder. And I realized I still had Yuri sleeping under me, "Oh...Who do we have here?"

"Yuri," I gave him a nudge, "Yuri, wake up."

"Good morning, Victor," Yuri pulled me closer, his eyes starting to open. Then, he caught sight of my sister and froze, "G-good m-m-morning, Pr-Princess Mila..."

"Good morning," Mila grinned, "It's just Mila, Yuri. We had this talk."

"It's alright, Yuri," I settled him, "Mila's not telling anyone. Not unless she wants people to know about the earring in her bed."

"Shut up, Victor!" she snapped.

"See?" I smiled, "Works like a charm."

"You never struck me as the type for blackmail, dear brother," Mila glared through me.

"But you really should be going, though, Yuri," I bit my lip, "I don't want you to, but I'm sure Yuko's worried sick."

"Ok," Yuri started to relax a little more, but he was still too uptight.

"Yuri," I softly kissed his lips, "It's alright. We'll see each other again. I'll make sure to have the Moscato on ice next time."

"Princess," he hardly spoke above a whisper, "Could you turn around for a moment, please?"

"Sure," Mila did as she was asked.

And Yuri had more upper arm strength than I gave him credit for. He pinned me down to my bed, giving me a little stronger kiss, "How about we go with a good champagne instead?"

"Champagne is for celebratory reasons," I pointed out, "What are we celebrating?"

"Us," he cradled my face in the palm of his hand.

"Ok," I smiled, "Hopefully, I won't have to wait long."

"In a perfect world."

I walked with Yuri back to my balcony, hoping no one would see him climbing down the lattice, "I love you…"

"I love you, too…"

And there he went. Back to his kingdom. Back to his princess…who would soon end up my queen. It was nice while it lasted, though. Having Mila see everything was a happy accident, but she was bound to see it eventually. I know he already left, but I missed him already. I could see his silhouette fade into the horizon.

I curled back up in bed and pulled my blankets over my head. I had no desire to go anywhere or do anything. Mila laid next to me, resting her head on my shoulder, "You really do love him, don't you, Victor?"

"I do," I let out a heavy, depressed sigh, "And I already miss him."

"You seem down," she noticed, "Have you talked to Daddy dearest recently?"

"Yeah…" I nodded, "I don't want to talk about it, Mila. I understand you're trying to help, but I really don't want to talk about it."

"He's making you pick Yuko, isn't he?"

"Unfortunately."

"Oh, my dear brother," Mila shook her head, "You really don't understand women, do you?"

"What do you mean?" I wondered.

"I'm about to make all your problems a little better," she guaranteed, "You don't want to marry Yuko, right?"

"Right."

"And she's obviously blindly in love with you already."

"Point, Mila!" I squeaked, "What's the point?"

"Not only does Yuko love you," Mila explained, "But she loves Yuri, too. What is Yuri to her?"

"Her best friend," I thought, "And her knight."

"She has a type," she went on, "She likes those with strength and those in position of power. I don't know about you, but I think introducing the future queen of our kingdom to her future military would be in your best interests. Are you understanding what I'm trying to say here?"

"If I introduce her to someone else," I assumed, "She won't be hopelessly hooked on me anymore. And she'll be too distracted by that someone else, so I could be with Yuri more often!"

"Who's the best sister you will ever have?" Mila grinned.

No question. I threw my arms around my sister, "I love you, Mila. You're a genius."

"I love you, too," she kissed the top of my head, "Now, I suggest you prepare yourself. I'm sure you'll want this done as soon as possible."

"I want it done today!" I jumped out of bed, "Could you have Phichit go get Yuri and Yuko for me?"

"I'd love to," Mila left me alone and went off to get Phichit. She really was an underrated genius. Why didn't I think of that?

And I couldn't wait to show her the military that won't become hers. One of them were sure to steal her heart. At least I hoped so. I came out of my room fully dressed and just so happened to see a smaller knight that wasn't exactly a knight wandering the hallway, "Yurio!"

"What?" he snapped at me, not very receptive of my hug, "Get off me!"

"You're training with the knights a lot lately," I pointed out, "Aren't you?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Yurio got defensive as Yurio did.

"Do you know if any of them are single?" I asked.

"How am I supposed to know that?" he grumbled, "It's not like I ask. Why? I thought you were already seeing that Princess Yuko chick."

"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm just curious. Mila's looking."

I love you, Mila. Please don't kill me, "No. Sorry. I don't."

"Mind if I come watch training today?"

"Yes!" Yurio growled, "I do mind!"

"Wonderful!" I chimed, "Once Princess Yuko and Yuri get here, we're going to drop by the training grounds."

"Why?"

"See you then!" I waved him off and headed downstairs to the front parlor. I couldn't wait for Yuri and Yuko to get here.

 **A/N: Hi, guys! I'm sorry to leave you like this, but I'm about to go on hiatus for a month. I'm not going to be posting another update for this until December 6** **th** **because it's getting to be that time of the year again! It's NaNoWriMo season! For the entire month of November, I take off from here and spend an entire month writing a 50,000 word novel. Last year, I did that in a week and a half, so it might not be all month long, but regardless of that, I'm going to be gone and I want you all to behave yourselves. I'm going to miss you all terribly. I might post something around the end of November on Yuri's and my birthday just to celebrate, but that's a big might. It all depends on how well I do this year. So, wish me luck. Pray for me. See you next chapter! xx**


	7. A Warrior's Princess

**A/N: Hi there! I know you from the internet! And probably the most accepting and tolerant fandom on the internet. At least from what I've seen and from who's been here since Adopted and they're all nice like a daytime Walmart cashier named Cindy. So, I'll give you hiatus stats later. For now, we get a quick recap.**

 **Where we last left off, Victor and Yuri were in a bit of a pickle. The king is pushing Victor to propose to Yuko already, but he doesn't want to propose to Yuko. That's when Mila has the brilliant idea to get Yuko to break it off by introducing her to the military. Let's see how this unfolds, shall we?**

They were going to be hers one day anyway, right? There's no harm in introducing Yuko to her future military. I don't have any ulterior motives. That would be deception and that would be wrong. I definitely have no intentions offsetting Yuko up with one of them in hopes of her getting off my back, so I can run off with Yuri and live happily ever after. Only another hour until they're supposed to be here.

How am I going to kill time? I had no other preparations to make to myself. I looked drop dead sexy as usual. Just enough to make Yuri swoon, but not enough to make his heart give out. It was still too early to get our champagne for tonight. Maybe I'll check on my beloved little sister. Make sure she's doing ok.

"Mila," I knocked on her door, cracking it open, "Are you in here?"

"Wait!" Mila stopped me, "Victor, if you don't want any mental scars, you'll stay right there."

"Are you naked or something?" I assumed, "We took baths together, Mila. It's not like I've never seen anything before."

"Victor," she growled, "I'm not…I have company right now…"

"Oh," I shrugged her off. But then it hit me, "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't know…"

"I walked in with you and Yuri in bed," Mila let out a heavy sigh, "Consider us even."

"We had just woken up, though," I pointed out, keeping my eyes covered, "We weren't…Like this."

"Do you mind?" she snapped, "At least let me get some clothes on."

"Sorry," I apologized again, "Hello, Princess Sara."

"Prince Victor," she spoke softly.

"Victor, get out!" Mila was ready to throw her shoes at me, so I figured now would be a good time to take my leave. As I left my sister to her princess, I found another prince in the hall. Perfect timing!

"Yurio!" I hugged my little brother tight, "I've never been so happy to see you!"

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Yurio tried shaking me, but I wouldn't let that happen, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"I wanted to talk to you," I begged him to stay, "This is very important."

"Is it life or death?" he grumbled.

"Sort of," I thought it over, "That's the risk you take."

"What do you want, Victor?" Yurio asked.

"Did you find out if any of the knights are single?" I wondered, "You know, for Mila's sake."

Again. I love you, Mila. I realize you have someone, but I don't think I'm ready to tell little Yurio I'm looking for someone for my girlfriend. Thank you for being my scapegoat.

"Three of them." Yurio did do his research, "But there's one who's interested in someone."

That meant two remaining that could absolutely steal Yuko's heart. Or so we hope, "Thank you, Yurio. You've been a bigger help than you realize and you've made me very happy today."

"Now, leave me alone," he shook me off, "I need to get to the training grounds. I have…a prior engagement."

"Go play then," I sent him off, "Have fun. Be careful."

"I'm not playing!" Yurio squeaked, "I'm training!"

He stormed off to go play with the knights and I went to find comfort in the library. Somewhere to idly doodle in some peace and quiet. I started out with some rough sketches of some landscapes. Mostly the wooded area around the pond that I liked to call my own piece of the world. I paid careful attention to the lake. I've seen it so many times and it never looks the same. How could I possibly capture that in a drawing?

I shut my eyes and let my hand do the work. When I opened them again, it seems my heart did the work for me. I could still see Yuri on that ice. And it was absolutely beautiful. My heart still ached with pure joy from a few little spins by my favorite little mess. What was taking Yuri and Yuko so long to get here?

"There you are, your highness!" Phichit came bursting into the library, "I've been looking all over the place for you!"

"What is it, Phichit?" I continued adding little details to my drawing.

"Princess…"

"Got it!" I jumped up from my chair and bolted for the door only to find Yuko and Yuri outside the library.

"Prince Victor," Yuko stopped me, "We're right here."

"Oh!" I turned around and regained my composure, "Your highness, it's such a pleasure to see you again."

"Hi," Yuko smiled as a cute little giggle came out of her knight behind her, "I missed you, too. Did you have a reason for inviting me over or was it just to see me again?"

"You caught me," I pulled her against my chest, shooting a wink at Yuri, "I did want to see you again. Not only that, but I wanted you to become more familiar with your possible future kingdom. Is that ok with you?"

"That sounds wonderful," she reveled in my embrace, "Where to first?"

"I was thinking the training grounds," I suggested, "You're not afraid of a little violence, are you, Yuko?"

"No," Yuko shook her head, "I watch my own knights spar all the time. Watching your knights can't be too bad."

"One of the fighters on our training grounds is actually quite skilled," I admitted, walking her down the hall, "If only he could keep more focused on his attacks, he'd make an incredible knight. However, that's not in the cards for him."

"Why not?" she wondered as the three of us made it to the training grounds. The wish he could be knight was sparring with one of the bigger men we had. He wasn't any bigger than Yuri, but definitely bigger than him.

"Because," I smiled, jumping a bit at the loud clanking of their swords, "He's my younger brother. He's third in line for the throne. He can't be a knight. At this point, he only fights in here just for fun."

"Aren't you worried about him getting hurt?" Yuko shook a bit.

"None of them are allowed to go all out on him," I assured, "He doesn't know that, though. We keep that between us, yes?"

"I won't tell," she promised. Yuko did a glance over the kingdom's finest warriors and all of a sudden, she stopped dead in her tracks. With a sparkle in her eye, she pointed at the biggest, most intimidating knight we had. But in all honesty, he's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met, "Who's that?"

"Hold on," I insisted, "I'll see about introducing you. Yurio!"

"WHAT?" my angry little brother shouted at me, "HOLD!"

All of our soldiers ceased fighting at Yurio's command, "Come here. I have a question."

"I'm not checking for infection again!" he pouted, "What do you want? And who are they?"

"This is Princess Yuko and her knight Yuri," I introduced them, "And it's about what we were talking about this morning."

"What of it?"

"Which ones?"

"Uh…" Yurio looked over the group of knights waiting to go back to their sparring matches, "Kenjiro, who seems like he's a little young for Mila. Altin, but he's not for Mila either! If she comes near him, someone would be very upset with her. And she wouldn't want that. Giacometti, but I love Mila too much to ever pair her up with him. He's a bit much. And Nishigori. He's kind of a brute, though. I don't see Mila putting up with that."

"You said Nishigori, right?" Yuko chirped, "What's his first name…?"

Got you. The glitter in her eyes turned into little hearts. She's hooked. To no surprise, though. Takeshi could be a very charming man when he wanted to be, "Hey, Takeshi! Come here!"

"Afternoon, your highness," he ran right over to me, "What's going on?"

"I want to introduce you to someone," I nudged her forward, "This is Princess Yuko. She comes to us from a few kingdoms over. Yuko, this is Takeshi Nishigori. A good man and one of our best."

"Hi," Yuko started to turn color. I'm not one to knock love at first sight. It worked for Yuri and me. Why not for Yuko and Takeshi, too? We could do a double ring wedding. That seems a bit too poetic. Even for me.

"Hello, your highness," Takeshi turned up the formalities. It was his first time meeting a royal of a neighboring kingdom after all. Hopefully his future wife. And more like my sister-in-law than my own wife. I can hope, right?

And they were hitting it off better than I thought they would! The icing on the cake? The little tap on the shoulder I got from my favorite knight, "Prince Victor…"

"Yes, Yuri?" My little power trip brought a smile to my face, "What is it?"

"Hey!" Yurio ruined our moment, "You said this one was Yuko's knight, right?"

"That's right," I confirmed, calling him every name in the book in the back of my head right now.

"You!" he shoved his finger in Yuri's face, "Fight me!"

"What?" Yuri gasped, trying to keep his head, "No. I have no reason to fight you."

"We don't need a reason!" Yurio was itching for a fight from someone that wouldn't hold back. And something tells me that Yuri is more of a lover than a fighter, "Now, fight me!"

"Yurio," I came between them, "You're not fighting him. Altin!"

"Yes, your highness?" another one of the knights and Yurio's usual sparring partner came over to us.

"Take him off my hands," I ordered, "He's trying to pick random fights. See if you can get that energy out of him."

"Yes, sir," he bowed to me, "Yura, we talked about this."

"I'm sorry," Yurio settled down almost instantly. I don't know what Otabek did to him, but whatever it was, it worked like a charm. And he's calling him Yura now? Our mother rarely even calls him that. After Otabek took Yurio back to fight, I pulled Yuri aside again.

"Now, for you," I decided, "What is it you wanted, Yuri?"

"I wanted to let you know," Yuri smiled, "I'm not going to be home tonight."

"Is that so?" my heart skipped a beat. Yuko was heavily distracted. I could've shoved my tongue down Yuri's throat and she wouldn't have flinched, "And where do you think you'll be tonight?"

"Where else?" he retorted, "Champagne on ice?"

"That can be arranged."

"Midnight," Yuri discreetly took my hand, "You and me."

"Us," I could hardly contain myself.

"Well," Yuko snapped back to herself, "We should be going. It was lovely seeing you again, Prince Victor."

"You, too, Yuko," I gave her a hug and a kiss to the forehead and sent her on her way. I watched them leave from my balcony. It's only a few more hours and Yuri would be coming right back here. I threw myself on my bed and went back to working on the drawing from the library. Maybe if I draw some more on this, it'll make the time go by faster.

With the way Yuko was looking at Takeshi and the way that she would flirt with him, I wasn't going to have to worry about Yuko much longer. It's the first thing we've had in common since we met. We both liked knights of the other's kingdom. Right now, I'd let my mind go entirely blank with the exception of the afternoon at the pond. Before it thaws, we need to do that again. I didn't get the opportunity to show off. If I'm going to have to woo Yuri any more, that would do it.

"Phichit!" I yelled out my door, "Could you come here, please?"

"Yes, your highness," Phichit popped up out of nowhere, "What can I do for you?"

"Bring me a bottle of champagne and a bucket of ice," I demanded, "Two glasses."

"Hard day again, sir?" he assumed.

"The princess is going to join me," I lied through my teeth, "I want it chilled as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir," Phichit obliged, "I'll be back shortly!"

"Thank you," I sent him away and went back to my drawing. Mila would have to make an appearance just to satisfy my attendant's curiosities, so I might as well go make nice first. I had seen Sara leave before, so she's not going to be in any compromising positions, "Mila? Can I come in?"

"What do you want, Victor?" Mila laid on her bed, her eyes shut, "My head is killing me. I'm drained. I want to go to sleep."

"Do you think you could handle having champagne with your favorite brother in his room?" I offered, "I'm sure that could help your headache."

"I appreciate the offer," she groaned, "But I'll have to pass."

"Well," I bit my lip, "Do you think you could pretend you're having champagne with your favorite brother in his room?"

"Why?"

"I'm having Yuri over tonight," I confessed, "And I told Phichit that you'd be joining me, so I had an excuse to get two glasses. He thinks I have a drinking problem."

"Fine!" Mila groaned, pulling herself out of bed, "You're lucky I love you."

"Are you alright?" I scooped her up in my arms and carried her across the hall, "This seems like more than just a headache."

"Sara and I kind of got into it," she laid her aching head in my shoulder, "Maybe a drink would be a good idea."

"You're more than welcome to join us, Mila," I allowed, "If you don't want to be by yourself tonight."

"I think I'll stay for one glass and leave," she decided, "I don't want to third wheel my brother and his boyfriend for long."

"Are you sure?" I worried.

"Positive," Mila curled up on my bed, "Because I might be sleeping after my first glass. If you don't feel like moving my ass back to my room, you and Yuri can have my bed."

"Thank you!"

"Your highness," Phichit came back with that champagne, "Highnesses…"

"Thank you, Phichit," I directed him, "Put it over on the table and go ahead and go to bed."

"Good night!" Phichit bolted out of my room and I cracked the bottle open.

"I hope Yuri's ok if we start without him," I winced, "It shouldn't be much longer now."

"You're ok," a voice came from the balcony, "As long as I can still get my champagne with my favorite prince, it doesn't matter if you start without me."

"Hi there," I helped Yuri over the wall, "If you could keep your voice down, Mila's not feeling very well and I'd appreciate it if she didn't throw up on my bed."

"I didn't realize we'd be having company," Yuri shrugged, "But I guess that's ok."

"Bless you, Yuri," Mila mumbled deliriously, already half asleep.

"I do have some good news, though," Yuri took a gentle seat on the edge of my bed, "Yuko wants to come back."

"I'm not surprised," I gave him his glass, "What for?"

"She wants to see the military again."

My face lit up, "Anyone in specific she mentioned?"

"She tells me these things in confidence," Yuri giggled, "I can't tell you that."

"Come on, Yuri," I whined, "Tell me!"

"She's my best friend, Victor," he shot me down, "I'm not telling you."

"Yet you have no problem sleeping with her boyfriend."

"That's not fair!" Yuri jumped on the defensive, "You don't even like her."

"Oh, Yuri," I held him against my chest, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he nuzzled his face in my shoulder.

I looked down at my bed where my sister was already asleep, "Care to join me across the hall?"

"I'd love to."

I cracked my door open and took a quick look in the hall. Empty. Perfect. I pulled Yuri onto the bed and he curled back into me. I had my boyfriend in my arms, my sister asleep in my bed, and my girlfriend in love with another man. Life was good. Complicated, but good.

 **A/N: I'm so sorry that this is up so late. In fact, I'm not even going to book club this. That's how far behind I am right now. I'll bore you with hiatus talk next week. But until then, see you next chapter! xx**


	8. The Truth Is

"Yuri..." I didn't want to wake him. It felt like a great crime to spoil something so beautiful. Unfortunately, we couldn't have that for much longer. We were in Mila's room. We couldn't risk anyone seeing us sneak out of here. And I'm sure Yuko's worried about him, too, "Yuri...Wake up..."

"Mmm..." Yuri curled into my ribcage, still entirely out of it, "That's nice..."

"Yuri," I kissed his cheek, "You have to wake up."

"No, I don't," he murmured.

"Yuri..." I started kissing all over him. His cheeks, his forehead, his nose. That one made him scrunch his face up and I had to do all I could to keep myself from screaming at the top of my lungs about how much I adored this boy. The little kiss on his neck, though...That was the one that woke him.

"Victor," Yuri smiled, his big, breathtaking eyes finally opened up, "What's so terrible about us staying in bed just a little longer? No one's going to see us."

"Ordinarily, I'd be fine with it," I gave him one more kiss, "But..."

"But you boys are in my bed," Mila sat in her dressing room in her towel, "I'm going to have to have company of my own to get the feeling back."

"Or you could steal some sage and rosemary from the kitchen," I teased, "Add a little perfume. It wouldn't be much different."

"You're right," she sighed out, "And I hate that you're right. How do you have Sara pegged better than I do?"

"It's a gift," I shrugged, pulling my knight closer to me...for what little time I had left with him, "Yuri, you do have to go, though. You know Yuko's worried sick. And it's not like I won't see you again today."

"That's right," Yuri laid his head in my shoulder, making me melt inside, "Why can't you have Yuko stay the night?"

"Because then," I took that boy's flawless face and putting between my hands, giving him a much more satisfying, deeper kiss, "I don't think I'd ever want to leave this bed."

"Not in my bed, you're not!" Mila protested, "Your bed is fine, but I don't want to explain to the maids why we have to change the sheets."

"I understand," I got up from my sister's bed, "By the way, how are you feeling, Mila?"

"I'm going to see Sara this afternoon." The sliding of hangers across the metal bar in her closet rang out, "See if we can patch things over."

"What happened?" I wondered, "Who did what that sparked such a big fight?"

"Apparently, I'm not allowed to steal bites of her cannoli," Mila explained, "She gets mad about that. Like...Viciously mad about that."

"I'd get mad if someone stole food from me, too," I agreed, "If you imagine everyone eats like Yurio, it'll save you a lot of trouble in the future."

"Thank you, Vitya," she came out, fully dressed this time, and sat at the edge of her bed, "Your words of wisdom will forever be engrained in my heart."

"And all because of our little brother's voracious appetite," I giggled, "Now, Yuri, I don't want to kick you out here, but..."

"I understand," Yuri slipped me a quick kiss, "I'll be back later."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

We checked the hall and ran to my bedroom. Only for Yuri to slip out from the balcony. He'll be back soon. Yuri did say Yuko wanted to look over the military again. Or, in simpler terms, she wanted to see Nishigori again. At least I hope so. I saw the looks she gave him. There's no way that she's looking that intensely because she's interested in our knights. Only one in particular.

But for now, I should probably prepare for my day. My beloved was coming over today, both alleged and true. I might as well look the part. After a quick glance over my closet, I had a sudden realization. I really should hire this part out. It's exasperating. Until then, the closest I could possibly have to a stylist in the entire castle was across the hall.

"Mila!" I yelled, "I need your assistance!"

"I told you," she groaned, "Dark blues and grays near your face, something tight on the bottom."

"Thank you!" I thumbed through all my clothes in search of something to wear that fit Mila's suggestions. Grays and blues near my face, huh? I could do that. I pulled a tight pair of black pants and a dark blue button up with a gray jacket to bring it all together. Hot damn, I looked good. If ruling the kingdom didn't work out for Mila, I could definitely keep her on my payroll.

A little while later, Yuko had arrived with Yuri in tow and the three of us went back to the training grounds. While Yuko was busy ogling Takeshi, I was more impressed by how far my little brother had come with his combat skills. Otabek could balance his skill enough to meet Yurio halfway with any move he threw at him. Enough to provide a challenge, but not enough to hurt him. The way things were meant to be. If I didn't know any better, though, I'd think I saw him coming out of Yurio's room this morning while Yuri and I were bolting across the hall. I didn't think much of it, though. I had better things to focus my attentions on.

Like the fact that someone showed up today out of his armor. Look at him, being all cute like a civilian. My boyfriend was such a beautiful creature. I never wanted to see him go. For the next few days, I got just that. Yuko and Yuri would come over every single day for the rest of the week. Most of the time, Yuko would let me go run around the castle with Yuri or even go as far to allow us to venture out and about in town while she'd watch the knights' sparring matches. It'd make Yuri and me grow even closer and Yuko and me further apart. Not too far, though. Just enough to keep up appearances.

At the end of the third day, after Yuko and Yuri had gone home, I sat alone in my bedroom, perfectly content with the world. Yuri and I agreed to spend this night apart just to give each other some space. I loved him and wanted to spend every waking moment with him, but I understood. Besides, we had been playing together so much lately. Not that I'm complaining. We could stand some time away from each other, too.

"Victor?" a surprising voice barked at my door, "Are you in here?"

"Yurio?" I gave him a look, "What are you doing here? You never come to my room."

"I was going to let you figure this out on your own," Yurio came in and sat down, "But you should probably know what you're getting into."

"What do you mean?"

"About your girlfriend," he explained, "You're serious about her, aren't you?"

"Relatively," I admitted, "Why?"

"I hate to say it," Yurio grumbled, "But I saw her running off with Nishigori earlier to one of the stables. Yuko's cheating on you."

"She's..." my heart stopped, "She's cheating on me?"

"You're not going to start crying on me, are you?" he rolled his eyes, "Because there's no way in hell I'm allowing that."

"Yay!" I squealed, "YAY!"

"Yay?" Yurio looked at me like I was on drugs, "What do you mean, yay? If my girlfriend was screwing around on me, I wouldn't be saying yay to that."

"Oh, my dear Yurio," I hugged my little brother tight, "You just made me so happy. You have no idea!"

I ran across the hall into Mila's room that was, unfortunately, empty. She must have gone to make up with Sara. I needed to talk with her more than anyone. She's going to be just as excited for me as I am! If it weren't for her brilliant suggestion, I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. I didn't want to wait for her to get home. I wanted to tell her now! But I had no idea where Sara's castle was. I had no choice. I sat in her room, waiting for her to come home. I needed someone to tell this to yesterday! Something tells me Yurio wouldn't be the one to talk about it with. He'd just get angry and tell me to leave him alone.

"Prince Victor…" I felt someone nudge me, "Prince Victor, wake up…"

"Mmm…" I rolled over, "Not now, Yuri. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm tired."

"Yuri?" Oh, shit…

"Good morning, Phichit," I rubbed my eyes, coming to, "What are you doing in here?"

"You're in Princess Mila's bed, sir," he pointed out, "Why did you call me Yuri?"

"Don't worry about it," I sat up, "I must have fallen asleep in here last night. Where's Mila?"

"Your room," Phichit reported, "She's waiting for you."

"Thank you, Phichit," I pulled myself together, "I want you to forget everything you heard me say in my sleep."

"Yes, sir."

I got out of Mila's bed and walked across the hall. My sister was stretched out in a euphoric daze, not completely there herself. I understood that feeling all too well, "Where have you been, young lady?"

"Making up with Sara," Mila said, "Why?"

"You didn't come home last night, did you?"

"Nope."

"Broken heels?" I wondered, "Smudged makeup?"

"No," Mila laid her head on my shoulder, "What about you? Did you and Yuri use my bed again?"

"Just me," I jolted up, reinvigorated with the memory of last night, "By the way! I have excellent news!"

"Your infection cleared up?" she assumed.

"I didn't have any infection," I rolled my eyes, "Much better than that, though!"

"What's up?" Mila's interest was piqued.

"She took the bait," I grinned, "Yuko and I are no longer. Yurio told me he saw her with Takeshi and they were in the stables."

"They were in the stables!" she squealed, finally sharing my enthusiasm.

"She's supposed to be coming over today," I remembered, "I should probably be making preparations for their arrival."

"They?"

"You can't tell me she's not bringing Yuri with her," I pointed out, "Come on, Mila. Where have you been?"

"Sara's castle," she scoffed, "I'm surprised her brother didn't come in and ask to join us. Don't get me wrong. Prince Michele isn't the worst looking thing to come around, but I'd rather his sister."

"Twins, though?" I teased, "Think about it."

"He's already too clingy," Mila told me, "No. And they're blood related. That's kind of gross."

"Also joking," I clarified, digging through my closet, "What in here says I know you're cheating on me, but we were never going to work out in the first place?"

"Dark red," she suggested, "Color of blood. Like the wound she made when she stabbed you in the back."

"My god, Mila," I winced, "Are you ok? Do we need to talk?"

"We've been talking for the past twenty minutes."

"You're right," I let out a heavy, relieved sigh as I started getting dressed, "No forcing our marriage. No spending the rest of my life with a woman I don't love. Possibly being able to be with Yuri until the day we die."

"You can only hope," Mila curled up on my bed, "While you're busy confronting your not girlfriend, do you mind if I steal your bed? It's more comfortable than mine."

"Go ahead," I allowed, coming out of my closet just to cover her up, "Sleep tight, my darling sister."

"Good night, Vitya," she buried herself in the pillows and fell back to sleep. Such a little angel with a sharp and wicked tongue. I love her.

"Prince Victor," Phichit came in with no warning, "Princess…"

"Phichit!" I snapped, keeping my voice down, "Mila's sleeping. If you want to be the one to put her back to sleep, be my guest."

"Forgive me, your highness," he winced, fully aware of how Mila can be when someone wakes her up, "But Princess Yuko's here for you."

"Thank you," I ushered him out of my room and left my sister to sleep. She probably had a long night last night and needs her sleep. As I started down the stairs, I noticed that Yuko stood in the entry alone. I'd be lying if I said that didn't break my heart a little, but I still needed to save face here, "Hello, your highness."

"Hello, Prince Victor," Yuko curtseyed, oddly more formal with me than we usually were.

"Traveling alone today?" I assumed.

"Yes."

"Well then," I offered her my arm, "Should we go check in on the knights today? I know how much you love to watch them fight."

"I do," she bit her lip, "Do you think we could go somewhere to talk? It's really important."

"Of course," I led her toward the parlor, "Is everything alright?"

"If we're being honest," Yuko spoke meekly, "No. It's not."

"What's the matter, Yuko?" I worried, sitting her down on one of the plush couches.

"I…" her voice broke. Uh-oh…I've never been good with people crying in front of me. I don't think I'll be able to handle her having a meltdown, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" I caught the lone tear coming out of her eye, "What could you have possibly done wrong?"

"I…" Yuko hid her face from me, "I haven't been faithful to you."

"What do you mean?" I acted surprised. At least she's being honest with me. I have to admire her for that.

"Victor," she held my hand, trying to offer some comfort, "I fell in love with a knight of your kingdom. I felt him pull at my heart and…And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Yuko," I wrapped my arms around her, doing my best to keep her from bursting into full blown tears, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"You don't hate me, do you?" Yuko blurted out, staring up at me with bloodshot eyes.

"Of course not," I smiled, kissing her forehead, "But you didn't answer my question. Can I tell you a secret?"

"What?" her voice softened.

"I knew from the beginning that we were never meant to be," I confessed, "Do you know why?"

"Why?" Yuko gave me a look like I just insulted her.

"Because," I came entirely clean to her, "I've fallen in love with a knight of your kingdom, too. And I knew from the first time I saw him that he was meant to be mine. I've been in love with him ever since. But in a way, we helped each other find love and I can never repay you for that."

Yuko took a minute to catch her breath. But then, she had come down just enough for a little smile to grace her pretty little face, "It's Yuri, isn't it?"

"He hated keeping it from you," I covered for him, "But yes. Of course it's Yuri. Can you blame me? Look at him. You've known him longer than I have. He makes it so hard not to fall in love with him, but I don't think he realizes it."

"He doesn't," she confirmed, "Because I used to flirt with him regularly. Now, it finally makes sense why he'd never accept my advances. I thought you two were awfully close."

"Tell you what," I bargained, "I won't tell anyone about you and Takeshi if you won't tell anyone about Yuri and me. Deal?"

"Deal," Yuko accepted, "But what about when they expect us to get married?"

"You let me take care of that," I settled her, "I love you, Yuko, but not in the way they want me to."

"I love you, too," she blushed a bit. Adorable, but not as cute as when Yuri does it, "So, what does this mean for us?"

"Friends?" I offered.

Yuko thought it over for a minute or two, finally coming to a decision, "Friends."

 **A/N: And you were all worried about Yuko getting hurt. She's got Nishigori's arms to protect her. And now, she knows that Victor's dating her best friend. Now, I think, don't quote me, but I think next week's going to be the last chapter. I'm not 100% sure, but I think it is. And then, I'll have a clean line up for the beginning of the year. But everything's going to be fine in the end. Pinky promise. So, I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	9. Kings and Queens

After telling Yuko about my heart's true desires, a giant weight felt like it was lifted off my shoulders. I've never been so at peace. And in a few more minutes, I'd have the boy that was borderline hyperventilating outside my balcony and blushing on my bed in my arms. Just the two of us. I had our usual bottle of Moscato waiting. All I needed now was someone to share it with.

"Victor..." I didn't expect it to be with my sister, though, "Do you have any wine in here? Sara forgot to bring some."

"I got Moscato," I cracked the bottle open, "But I only have two glasses."

"One for me, one for Sara," Mila took my glasses and my wine, "Thank you, brother. You've done a great service for us. We really appreciate it."

"Hey!" I squealed, "What the hell, Mila? You're not the only one with company tonight."

"But my company is already here," she pointed out, "I have Sara on my bed as we speak and I hate to keep her waiting. Thank you, Victor!"

Before I had the chance to get my wine back. Mila had already shut her bedroom door. Well, so much for that idea. I liked to unwind at the end of the day with a glass of wine while I lay in bed with my Yuri. Oh well. At least I still had the Yuri part to look forward to. Even though he's taking his sweet time...Where the hell are you, my beloved white knight? For there is a prince locked in his tower, waiting for you to come rescue him. Not necessarily from a dragon or a witch or anything ridiculous like that. But from himself. From his monotony. From life itself. Come save me, my love...

"Sorry I'm a little late, Victor." Ask and ye shall receive, "I got caught up in some business at the palace and getting away wasn't easy."

"You're here now, aren't you?" I pulled him to my chest, feeling his heartbeat sync against my own, enjoying the mere feeling of his presence, "That's all that matters."

"You're awfully affectionate today," Yuri noticed, "Have you started without me?"

"Actually," I brought him down to my bed, "We were going to have wine, but Mila took it from me. Her company came ill-prepared."

"Then, it's a good thing I'm always prepared, isn't it?" he opened up his jacket, pulling a small bottle out of his pocket, "A little liquid hospitality from my kingdom. Right from the royal reserves, too."

"Royal reserves?" I gasped, "Is it my birthday?"

"It's actually a gift from Yuko," Yuri explained, "She gave this to me when she got home earlier today. No explanation. All she said was to share it with someone special."

"Yuri," I bit my lip, "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," he opened up the bottle, offering me the first drink, "What is it?"

"Do you know where Yuko went today?" I asked.

"No," Yuri thought, "I was too busy thinking about why she told me to stay behind. Yuko never tells me to stay at the palace. We're always together. Except for when I come here, of course, but that's here nor there."

"She was here, Yuri," I confessed, "Yuko told me she was cheating on me with one of my knights."

"Oh my god," he worried, "Are you ok?"

"Yuri," I hid a smile from him, "Think about it. It's the first thing that Yuko and I have had in common since the day we met aside from us both being royalty. When she told me about her and Takeshi, I told her that I was cheating on her with one of her knights."

"You told Yuko about us?" I thought Yuri was going to have a heart attack.

"Yes," I nodded, holding him a bit closer, "And this is why. She had every right to know that it wasn't going to work out with us. I didn't have any feelings for her that evolved past friendship, which is what we agreed on. She was very understanding, but she wasn't heartbroken. Because of the relationship Yuko and I had, as much of a sham as it was from the beginning, we both found the ones we were meant to be with."

"So," he started to relax a little more, "She's ok?"

"She's ok," I promised, "I had a talk with Nishigori earlier today about Yuko. She still has a hell of a knight to take care of her."

"I understand that," Yuri curled into my ribs, "But you don't get it. I've been the one to take care of Yuko for so long...What if she still needs me?"

"You make it sound like you're breaking up with her," I giggled, "It'll be an adjustment, but you can do it. You'll have someone else to love and take care of."

"Who?"

"You're joking, right?" I took the small bottle from Yuri, taking a heavy drink from it. Damn. That's not bad.

"Of course I am," Yuri took the bottle back, kissing my cheek, "I love you, Victor."

"I love you, too," I pulled the blankets over us, "We should get some sleep. As much as I'd love for us to be up all night, I'm very tired and God only knows what I have for tomorrow."

"Fine," he put our bottle on the nightstand, "Good night, your highness."

"Good night," I gave my knight a deep, tender kiss and watched as he dosed off in my arms. My beautiful knight in shaking armor...Sleeping so soundly. Yes. Good night, my love.

The next morning, I woke up with the cutest little thing to ever come into this castle still laying with me. As I kissed the top of his head, those big, heartbreaking eyes of his looked up at me, "Good morning to you, too."

"How long have you been awake, Yuri?" I wondered.

"Ten, fifteen minutes, maybe," he thought, "I didn't want to wake you."

"You didn't." God, help me. I love this boy, "Will I be seeing you later today?"

"I hope so," Yuri climbed up for a kiss, "At least we have midnight."

"We'll always have our midnights," I snuggled him a bit more, "But do you have to leave now?"

"I need to get home," he sighed out, "Who knows? I might have to get Yuko out of your knights' quarters anyway."

"No," I rolled my eyes, "From what I understand, you'd be more likely to find her in the stables than the knights' quarters."

"Classy," Yuri shook his head, "Hard to believe this is the same girl I taught to skate all those years ago. We took naps together. We took baths together. We've been inseparable, Victor."

"She's not going anywhere, Yuri," I assured, doing my best to keep him from hyperventilating, "You've been going back and forth between the kingdoms for how long now? Nothing is going to change. It's going to be ok."

"Ok," he rested his head on my chest, "You know…I could stay like this for just a little while longer."

"How much longer?" I wondered, never wanting to ever move from this spot.

"Just a little while," Yuri was ready to fall back asleep already.

"Fine by me…"

Oh, Yuri...My sweet, little Yuri. Maybe you are more of a prince than you let on. You carry yourself like a noble. A shy, little noble, but a noble, nonetheless. I could make you royal, Yuri. All you'd have to do is answer one little question for me. That's all it would take.

"Victor," Mila dragged herself through my door with Sara following behind her. They both fell onto my bed. It's a good thing my bed is huge, "Do you have any more of that Moscato?"

"Mila," I worried, "You had that last night. That was my only bottle."

"I'll bring you some merlot from our vineyard next time," Sara promised her, "It pairs very nicely with some chocolate covered strawberries."

"Sara," Mila smirked, "You know what chocolate covered strawberries do to me."

"Maybe that's the point…"

"Not in my bed," I protested, "Please."

"And not while we're still in it," Yuri added, "That'd be indecent."

"Hello, Prince Victor," Sara turned shy. Two seconds ago, she didn't think twice about openly hitting on my sister and now, she's as quiet as a church mouse?

"Princess," I gave her a nodded, "But please. We're in the same bed together. I think we're past formalities."

"Victor," Mila scolded, "I called dibs, remember? You got Yuri and I'd get Sara."

"And he won't have Yuri for much longer," Yuri got out of bed, grabbing his pants off the floor, "Yuri has to go back to his own kingdom."

"And needs to stop speaking in third person," I cringed.

"Sorry," he gave me a little kiss, "I'm sure I'll be back later."

"You better be," I followed him out to the balcony, "I love you, Yuri."

"I love you, too," Yuri stuck his foot in the lattice and made his climb down the castle wall. I missed him already.

"Now it makes sense," Sara thought out loud, getting a little bolder, "Why you weren't interested in me."

"Princesses aren't my thing," I confirmed, "Yet here I am with two of them in my bed."

"And one of them is your sister, you pervert," Mila threw a pillow at me, "The other is her girlfriend. I don't think so."

"I already told you," I jumped back onto my bed, "Princesses aren't my thing. And neither is incest."

"Tell that to my brother," Sara grumbled.

"Well, ladies," I sighed out, "As much as it is a delight to have you in here, I think a long bath and an easy day of merely seeing my princess and my knight is an order and I can't exactly do that with you two in my bed."

"That does sound nice," Mila agreed, wrapping her arms around her princess, "Maybe we should go do that, too."

"Mickey's probably got our entire guard scouring the kingdom for me," Sara shot her down, "I should be getting home before he wakes up."

"Fine," Mila gave her biggest fake pout she could muster in hopes of guilting her into staying a little longer. I've seen it work before when she wanted to braid Yurio's hair once. It turned him into a puddle. Why not try it on Sara, too?

"I'm glad you understand." Nope. Fail.

"It was nice seeing you again, Sara," I bowed to her, "Now, do you two mind?"

Mila and Sara left my room and I started running my bathtub. I didn't even want to give anything else a thought yet. All I wanted was to sink in the delightfully hot water and forget the world for a while. Was that too much to ask? Although, the bathtub felt too big. I bet Yuri would like it in here, too. I know I would. Just to have my arms around him in the water sounded practically divine. Like magic.

"Prince Victor," Phichit broke up my inner monologuing, "Prince Victor?"

"In the bathroom, Phichit," I called out, "What is it?"

"His Majesty would like to speak with you," he covered his eyes as he stood in the doorway, "He said at your earliest convenience, but we all know what that means."

"As soon as humanly possible," I groaned, "And then some. Alright. I'll be down in a minute."

"Yes, sir," Phichit bowed out and ran the opposite direction.

So much for my time to myself. I got out of the bathtub, got dressed, and made my way to the throne room. I'm sure my father was waiting for me. I love him dearly, but the last time he and I talked, I got miserably depressed to the point where I needed to lay in Mila's bed with ideally a pint of ice cream, but we didn't have any. I almost cried in front of Yuri because of that. I'll be alright.

"Hello, Father," I bowed, taking my mother's usual seat on her throne, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did," Father confirmed, "It's about you and Princess Yuko."

"What about her?" I wondered, a knot starting to form in my stomach.

"You're taking too long with your courting of her," he growled, "There is going to be an engagement party tonight."

"Who's getting married?" I awed.

"You are, Victor," Father glared, "You're proposing tonight."

"I am?" I may or may not have blacked out for a moment or two.

"Yes," he sent me off, "If you want to do your duty to your kingdom, you will propose tonight or the throne will forever be out of your reach."

"Yes, sir," I thought I was going to throw up. I didn't like this. I detested every thought of an arranged marriage and I didn't want this at all. Yuko and I were only friends and we agreed on that. It didn't seem like the time to be telling my father that she's cheating on me with one of our knights and I'm cheating on her with one of her knights. In times like these, I needed a few things. And after a quick stop in the kitchen, I threw myself onto one of the most comfortable beds in the entire castle.

"Vitya, what's wrong?" Mila attempted to comfort me.

"Did you know there's going to be an engagement party tonight?" I asked.

"No," she gave me a look, "Who's engagement party is it?"

"Apparently, mine," I gagged, shoveling more mint chip ice cream down my throat, "I don't want to, Mila. I don't want to propose to Yuko. And to think, I was having such a good day. I went to sleep with my boyfriend, I woke up with my boyfriend. My bedsheets still smell like him. Yet, I have to propose to Yuko."

"Victor," Mila stopped me, "What were Daddy dearest's exact words?"

"That I'm proposing tonight," I mumbled in her pillows.

"Think about it," she put things in perspective, "You have a very golden opportunity here. He told you that you had to propose, right?"

"Right."

"Then, propose," Mila insisted, "Give him exactly what he wants. Man up and do the right thing here."

It took me a minute to realize what my sister was trying to get across here. Her notion made my stomach fill with butterflies and my heart wanted to jump out of my chest. I started pouring sweat. Have I mentioned how much I love my underrated genius of a sister lately? Because I do. I do very, very much.

"Mila," I hugged her tight, "Thank you. I think I understand."

"You have me for a reason, brother," she kissed my cheek, "Now, this party…Can I invite Sara?"

"Of course."

"Wonderful!" Mila chimed, "Now that I've given you my little pep talk, I suggest you go get yourself ready. Go spoil yourself for the afternoon. You have a big night ahead of you."

"Good drink, good company," I sighed out, "It sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"It does," she agreed, "Now, go."

"Ok," I left my sister to her devices and reran the water in my bathtub. When I left the throne room earlier, nothing but dread and misery filled my thoughts. However, when I leave Mila's room, I couldn't wait for tonight. I couldn't believe it. Hopefully, I'll walk out of my own engagement party an engaged man. Mila was right. Life is too short and I might as well man up before someone else does. I could do this. I will do this.

Later on in the evening, I really needed to consider doing more than naps and facials. Chances are, I won't sleep tonight anyway. Although, I'd be well-rested for the evening festivities. I dug through my closet looking for something to wear when I came across a familiar burgundy suit that turned me into a puddle. The very same suit I wore the night I met Yuri. If I wasn't so worried about keeping up appearances, I'd wear it tonight. Sort of a poetic justice type thing.

However, the pitch black one would do nicely, too. With the purple silk shirt under it? Damn, I'd look sexy. Now, I needed something else to go with it. Diamonds? Diamond cufflinks seemed appropriate. I did a slow spin in the mirror, checking every inch of me. My God, Mila was right again. The tighter on the bottom for me, the better. My pants looked like they were painted on, but still. I looked fantastic. In between naps and pampering, I managed to go into town and have a ring made. Pure gold, too. I couldn't wait to see the look in those eyes…

"It's very pretty, Vitya," a woman's voice broke the silence in my closet, "You always did have an eye for that sort of thing."

"Thank you, Mother," I invited her in, "Please. Sit with me."

"Thank you," she made herself comfortable, "Have you spoken with your father?"

"Yes," I nodded, "I know all about my engagement party."

"About your future wife," Mother murmured, "She's so…Uppity. Are you sure you love her?"

"I guess," I adjusted my cufflinks out of nervous habit.

"You know," she joined me at the mirror, looking me over, "You really are a very striking beauty, Vitya. Out of all my children…Well…"

"I won't tell any of the others," I smiled, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

"You're the prettiest out of your brothers and sister," Mother assured, "Yurio comes close, but he has nothing on you."

"Thank you," I blushed, "You flatter me."

"Anyone would be lucky to have you," she added, "And I do mean anyone. Whenever you're ready, your engagement party started without you. You should make a slight appearance."

"Yes, Mother," I bowed, "I'll be down in a moment."

She spun on her heel, her deep blue dress billowing out beneath her, and left me to put on finishing touches. Alright, Victor. You know what you need to do. It sounds crazy, but there's no better time than now, right?

 **A/N: I really do love the glimpse of Victor and Lilia's relationship. And, honestly, out of Team Russia…Does anyone really compare to Victor? Regardless…Alright, kids. Next week's going to be the last chapter. Are you prepared for what's going to happen? Because Victor's engagement party is about to begin. Hang in there. You'll be alright. And I'll be available for your regularly scheduled internet therapy and squee dumpster. Also, Victor's birthday's coming up on Monday! Soooo…I'll see you next chapter! xx**


	10. Taking a Stand

**A/N: Well, kids. Here we are. The big engagement party is finally upon us. What's going to happen? All I can tell you now is that there's currently a dog laying at my feet like a good girl, like a big, special girl and I love her. For those of you that follow me on Snapchat or Instagram or even Tumblr once in a while, you've seen the Mika bean. She's almost thirteen years old and my favorite pup in the world. She's a big ball of poof and love and snuggles and she likes to take long naps under my desk. Now that I'm done gushing about my dog, I'm going to spin you a tale of woe and a man with a heart torn in two. Ok? Ok.**

These parties never interested me. Sure, they were fun, but they bored me all the same. That was until a certain special someone came into my life, stealing my heart. The one person that I never wanted to live without. I couldn't believe this was happening tonight. Now or never. It all came down to this. I couldn't stop sweating. I've never been so nervous in my entire life. Maybe I just needed something to calm me down. A little bit of liquid courage to keep me level.

"Victor," a sweet, familiar voice called out to me. But in the same breath, he corrected himself, "I'm sorry. I mean, your highness."

"Not now, Yuri," I downed a glass of champagne in one drink, "I'm a little busy."

I left him by all the glasses while I took two. Relax, Victor. Find somewhere to sit down and drink your worries away. I don't think we had enough alcohol in the entire castle to make me forget the reasoning for this party. I'd much rather that first party again. My beloved angel looked so cute that night. Could I live that party on a loop, please?

Which left me this question. Do I marry for love or do I sacrifice my happiness for the sake of my kingdom? I know it'd be good for the people. There would be a new king and queen on the throne. Mother and Father could spend the rest of their days living in the countryside. But I'd have to spend the rest of my life miserable. I didn't want that for myself, but I could never wish any suffering on my people.

"Vitya?" Mila sat with me, giving me another glass of champagne, "What's the matter, brother? You seem down."

"I think I'm going to throw up," I threw back another glass, "I mean, I have to come out of tonight engaged."

"So, what's stopping you?" she asked.

"I'm torn," I let out a heavy sigh, laying my head on my sister's shoulder, "Do I do this for me or for my people? Do I do this for entirely selfish reasons or for the right ones?"

"Whatever you decide," Mila kissed the top of my head, "I know you'll make me proud. And I'll still love you no matter what you choose."

"Thanks, Mila," I finished another glass, "I appreciate the pep talk."

"Victor..." Yuri approached slowly, "Are you ok?"

"I'm going to leave you boys alone," Mila got up and ran off to presumably find Sara.

"I'm sorry, Yuri," I followed suit, "I just need a minute to sort some things out, ok?"

"But..."

I couldn't even let him finish. This was killing me! I knew I'd have to deal with this eventually, but I didn't want to deal with it now. The question was simple? Who do I love more than anything in this world? Who would be worth my time? Did my kingdom truly come first in my heart? I might as well rip this bandage off. With the champagne finally easing my nerves, I went off to find Yuko. If Yuri's here, Yuko couldn't be too far behind.

"Victor!" Instead of finding Yuko, my father found me, "What is taking you so long?"

"I was just on my way to find Yuko," I settled him, "Did you happen to see which way she went?"

"No," Father shook his head, "But I think your mother might have."

"And where would she be?"

"By the stairs."

Now, I had to go on a wild goose chase to find my mother in order to find Yuko? This was ridiculous. It brought me back to a time when Mila and I were talking about relationships. She told me that I'd never have to chase the one. The one would find me when I least expected it. Strange. I'm the older one between the two of us and she has so much more wisdom than I do. I managed to find Yuko before I found my mother and dragged her off to a raised balcony as my father got the crowd to quiet down.

"Princess Yuko," I took her hands, "You and I have been seeing each other for a while now."

"That's right," Yuko confirmed, "What of it, my prince?"

"As you know," I began, "I am next in line for the throne of my kingdom. I have a duty to my kingdom to rule them as my father did before me. However, I can't do that alone."

"What is it, Victor?" she had no idea where I was going with this one. I hardly knew. Even though I did have that duty to my kingdom, the only way we got to where we were today was through change, right?

"I stand here in front of my entire kingdom," I shook a little, "Fully deserving of happiness until the day I die with someone I love as much as I love them. So, I stand here, their future king, to say…"

I looked out on the crowd, hoping to find the answers out there. All I had was an approving nod from my sister, an annoyed look from my younger brother, and an angry glare coming from my father, wanting me to hurry this up, so he could go to bed. And I couldn't blame him. If he didn't get enough sleep, someone would find that out the hard way and I prayed for whoever would be on the receiving end of it.

"Victor," Yuko spoke softly, "Go ahead. Say what you need to say."

"Thank you," I kissed her forehead, getting a nice hum of awe across the crowd. It's now or never, right? Please say yes, "Yuri, will you marry me and be the husband that will forever make me the happiest man alive?"

"What?!" I thought Yuri was going to come out of his skin as a heavy gasp fell over the crowd. I didn't want to put him in that kind of position, but there was no other way.

"Victor!" my father snapped, "Is this some sort of joke?! There can't be two kings ruling this kingdom!"

"It's not a joke," I stood my ground, "It's the beginning of a new day, Father. If I don't get to rule the kingdom with Yuri, I'm not ruling at all. I'll abdicate the throne right now."

"Fine," he retaliated, "Then, Mila's going to take the kingdom."

"Why?" Mila stepped in, "So instead of the kingdom having two kings, it'll have two queens? Sorry, Daddy. I got the girlfriend you wanted Vitya to have."

"Yurio's too young to rule yet," Father groaned, "Why? Why did you always have to be the difficult one, Victor? Why do you have to be the reason for my ulcers?"

"Yakov," Mother stopped him, "Do you really like Yuko? Do you want her ruling our kingdom?"

"Not particularly," he agreed, "But Victor wanted to pick and he picked wrong. I gave him a chance to fall in love."

"And he did," she pointed out, gesturing to my possible fiancé, making his way through the crowd, "You're just not getting what you want."

"And there's one other reason Yurio can't rule under your stipulations," Mila smirked, shooting a wink at our littlest brother.

"Shut up, Mila," Yurio growled, his face turning bright red.

"It's alright, Yura," Otabek settled him. I thought there was something between those two. Yurio always straightened up after Otabek told him to. Sometimes without even saying a word, "Don't let her get to you."

"Well?" I smiled, helping Yuri the rest of the way up the stairs, "Which would you rather have, Your Majesty? Do we rid the kingdom of an archaic idea or do we rid it of a monarchy altogether?"

I had him cornered. My father was left speechless and a part of me was loving it, "Since this kingdom's conception, there has always been one king and one queen."

"Yuri's pretty like a queen," I defended, pulling my boyfriend to my side.

"And how are you supposed to further the royal bloodline?" he argued, "A man can't carry a baby."

"Mila," I asked, "I hate to do this in front of everyone here, but if I asked you nicely, would you surrogate our baby for us?"

"In a heartbeat," Mila promised.

"Problem solved," I shrugged, "There's no possible way anyone could lose here. Please, Father. Don't make me marry Yuko. I do love her, but not like I love Yuri. He's so special to me and there's no one else I'd rather be with."

"Well," Father thought, "It is your kingdom now, Victor. That's entirely your choice."

"In that case," I smiled, "It's actually Yuri's choice."

"Me?" Yuri perked up, "How is it my choice?"

"Because," I got down on my knee, taking his ring out of my pocket, "You have yet to answer me. Yuri…In front of my entire kingdom, our allies, and your best friend that I was supposed to be with, will you marry me? Please?"

"I…" Yuri looked like he was about to pass out, but I kept him steady, "I don't know…"

"Let me simplify it for you," I brought him down to my level, "Do you love me? My title aside, my lineage aside, do you love me?"

"Of course I do," he sat on his feet, "But…"

"Well then?" I cut him off, "You, me, eternity? How does that sound?"

Yuri's shaking started to ease as he inched closer to me, "It sounds too good to be true."

"Believe it," I cradled his innocent, little face in my hand, "Because this is true. You're my knight in shining armor, Yuri. You always have been since the day we met. Whether you know it or not, you've saved the prince many, many times. And most importantly, you saved him from making the biggest mistake of his life."

"Victor…" his voice cracked. Uh-oh…Did I break him? A couple tears dropped from his eyes…and a smile appeared on his face, "Yes."

"Yes?" my heart stopped.

"Yes!" Yuri pulled me in for the most incredible kiss we've ever had. All the others were fueled by passion, sometimes even spite. Knowing that this wasn't the way it was supposed to be, but exactly the way it was supposed to be. But this one? This one was pure love for the man I'd marry.

"I hope you do me proud, Victor," the corner of my father's mouth twitched slightly. That's the closest I'm going to get to a smile out of him. Regardless, I'll take it!

"I'll try," I beamed, holding Yuri in my arms. Honestly, I didn't care about any of that stuff anymore. I'm just glad he said yes.

"Hey, Victor…" Speak of the beautiful devil, "You do know this means we have a wedding to plan now, right?"

"You're absolutely right," I nodded, holding him tight, "You know it's going to be our kingdom's first royal wedding in quite some time. I hope you're ready for something like that."

"It'll take some time to plan out, though," Yuri fell into me, "Right?"

"Not necessarily," I thought it over, sitting on the floor with my new fiancé, "Hey, Mila!"

"Yes?" my beloved sister joined us, "What is it?"

"One," I shoved my finger in her face, "You nearly outed Yurio. Not cool."

"Sorry," she winced, "We needed back up and you know, despite his constant whining, Yurio will always be on our side."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," I redirected her, "But before you do that, I have a question to ask you."

"What?"

"Will you help us plan our wedding?" I asked, "That is, if it's ok with you, Yuri."

"That's fine by me," Yuri cranked his neck back, "Yuko? Would you want to get in on that?"

"Absolutely!" Yuko chimed, scanning the crowd for her own knight, "Victor, do you know where Takeshi is?"

"Front gate," I sent her off, "And Yuko?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," I winked at her, "For being so understanding."

"No problem!" And just like that, my almost fiancée bounced off to find her boyfriend.

"Do you two have anything thought out yet?" Mila went into full on, party planning mode already, "Color schemes? Decorations?"

"Mila," I giggled, "We just got engaged. Give us some time."

We did, didn't we? I'd be marrying the little anxious knight of my dreams. My Yuri. After a long night of congratulatory fanfare, I needed my bed. Our bed. And for old time's sake, I nicked a bottle of Moscato from the wine cellar while Yuri headed up to the bedroom. This was it. Where it had all began. A bottle of Moscato and that blushing boy on my bed to share it with. It made sense that this was where one chapter of our love story was ending. And I couldn't wait to see what the next chapter had in store for us.

 **A/N: And there we have it, kids. Victuri was achieved. Our boys are getting married. They'll have the kingdom to do with as they wish. I really do love how this story turned out and I love even more how well received it's been. Give yourselves a pat on the back. And now, once the beginning of 2018 hits, I'll be starting the Adopted sequel again. Don't tell them that, though. I'll be going back to the parental!Victuri than the fluffy, romantic!Victuri like we have here. It'll be fantastic, I'm sure. I hope all of you have a beautiful and incredible New Year. I love you to death. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sticking this out with me. And I'll see you later. xx**


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